Happy 4th of July!

I'm going to take today off to spend with my wife at King's Island -- and for all of you WAR fans and devs, I give full permission to step away from the game for a day to be with loved ones, enjoying your freedoms and blessings.

It's trendy these days for Americans to be ashamed of where they live, to accept the guilt other nations foist on us, to beat ourselves up because we're not perfect. It's true, we're not perfect -- no nation is -- but we're not quite the cesspool of civilization either. Today, as always, I'm proud to call myself an American, not to be confrontational with others about it, but just because that's what I am and I have no cause to hide it.

I am grateful for the soldiers of this land who believed so much in freedom that they gave their lives so I could say, believe, worship, and be whoever or whatever I want to be. I am grateful they often care enough for people elsewhere in the world to die for them as well.

Although the news almost never reports on it, I am always humbled to see the generosity of Americans who give to those in need -- even when those people aren't from their own nation or speak their own language.

I am moved by the history of our nation, by the great men and women who, while imperfect and messy themselves, forged a unique nation out of ideals, desires and convictions.

I am touched that while deep problems exist in our society, there are always passionate, hard-working fighters who struggle daily to make the wrong things right, instead of just giving up on this country altogether.

And as my mother says each presidential election year, I am happy to live in a country where the people decide who will lead us, and a peaceful transition of power of a mighty nation occurs every four (or eight) years.

If you disagree, if you have some stored-up rant in your pocket against the USA, please save it for another day. Today, I want to enjoy the fireworks, thank God that I was born here, and be with my family.