As we in the United States take stock of the year just past, not omitting the injustices we have suffered at home and those we have perpetrated abroad, it may behove us to reflect on this National Public Radio quotation from a Libyan rebel fighter being treated in Massachusetts:
In our culture we say one thing about the American nation: You live your heaven on Earth in the States.
The other observation he made was that he found it remarkable that there were no checkpoints and no one had asked for his identification.
Our liberties in this country are real, but very fragile, and they are under assault. In the coming year, let us rededicate ourselves to their defense at home and their expansion abroad. And let us strive to ensure that our national wealth is shared generously, both at home and abroad.