HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(Adapted from my FB post)

Well, Happy Birthday, I guess, to my adopted country.

I'm an immigrant. I first came here in 1964 and carried a green card for a number of years. By 1972 I'd begun to feel foolish, living here and not being able to vote, so I applied for citizenship. I've been an "American" ever since.

I do realize, though, how greatly privileged an immigrant I am, and am grateful for the welcome; but I'm still outraged by the fact that so many of my fellow and would-be immigrants do not share that welcome, especially those without the privilege of a fine education and... skin color!

Now we've invited an orange clown to the party and he turns out to be the kind that pretends to entertain us but scares the sh*t out of us instead. He has shoved us all into a clown car that threatens to fall apart at any moment, if not explode.

Happy Birthday, America! Here's hoping you'll survive another year...