Mr. McGrath, you may, well, be right. Europe does not have a monopoly on America bashers. I know any number of Americans who have nothing good to say about the US but continue to live here because they are unwilling to endure the loss of freedom and lifestyle that emigration would cost. I have lived in some wonderful parts of the world and I have no illusions that the US is the only good place to live. But, if there is one thing I have found in my travels, it is that every land, every society has flaws and warts. If there is a heaven on earth, it is doing a damned fine job of hiding. Until I stumble across it, I will stay and support the land of my birth and the land of my choosing. I am an American and, warts and all, I am proud to be.