the fourth - patriotic version

By Todd Stadler · Wednesday, July 4, 2001 6:59pm

But for all of the times I make fun of America, for all its many faults and for all that it lacks, I really like this place.

I like the many wonderful foods that we have, whether we imported them from other cultures or not. I've been sampling many of them while I've been in Berkeley this past week. No one bastardizes foods better than the Americans.

I love the wonderful range of music we have here, too. We may not have invented your favorite genre, but we have someone here who's very good at it.

And I love the people here. Many are stupid, many are crazy, and they probably annoy the bulk of you in other countries, but so be it. They're my friends and neighbors, and I like them.

I think that's what patriotism really is. We don't have to fly our flag, or wear tacky clothes that have flags all over them.

We certainly don't have to like our government, and the many goofy people that make it up. I'd say that's a defining thing about America - we can hate every dumb law we pass and still love our country.

So I'll admit that I love this country, if only on this day. There's no other country I'd rather whine about incessantly.