America: the greatest! ?

I love early-morning coffee time. I enjoy my first caffeine rush of the day in a glassed-in room surrounded by giant oak trees in the developed dune land a mile offshore from Lake Michigan. It's heavenly.

On the morning of our nation's birthday I cannot help but reflect on this country and its amazing attributes. I'm not willing to give in to the opinion expressed this week on a new cable TV show that America is not the greatest country. I love this country. I'm grateful for the opportunities I had, and I love the opportunities that lie ahead for my kids and grandkids.

But that doesn't mean I have to love everything about this great nation.

You can't be pleased about our rate of incarceration...far higher than that recorded by any other country.

You've gotta be alarmed when people involved in our Innocence Projects project that up to 10% of those persons in prison may have been wrongly convicted...especially if that person happened to be in your family.

Even more alarming are the statistics that show that prosecutorial misconduct is a major reason for wrongful convictions...misbehavior by the very people we elect to office to enforce our laws.

And then, we must also be ashamed of a flawed court-appointed attorney system that varies state by state, but can and does assign a real estate specialist to defend an alleged criminal facing a death penalty.

So on this birthday, enjoy the party. America is a great place to live for most of us.

Just don't forget the least of these.

Don't just remember them...pray for them. For their families too.

Happy fourth!

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