What a country is America! As Erma Bombeck says, "You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers in front of the White House, but by family picnics where kids throw frisbees, the potato salad gets soggy, and the flies die from happiness."

Some years ago in a U.S. District Court, I had the privilege of participating in a naturalization ceremony. Some sixty foreign-born persons were ready to take their citizenship vows. Every place on earth was represented. They reminded me of that old Coca Cola commercial about "I want to teach the world to sing." These sixty folks had waited five years for this day. They had learned the language, studied the nation's laws, and passed a test and security check. Behind them sat severa…