Maryland Conservatarian

July 4, 1776 is part of my history even though my ancestors came to America well after that date. In fact, it was over a hundred and twenty years later that they came from Ireland, Croatia and Czechoslovakia. But they did not come here to become Irish, Croatian or Czech-Americans and I believe I best honor them and their memory by remembering that I am, first and foremost, an American.

So treat today as kind of a Rorschach test on patriotism. Never mind your position on the various matters we endlessly parse, your pride in America - in being an American and contributing to its greatness - should be absolute and without nuance…because this country deserves that pride. God bless us all.