> I seriously doubt that the USA is unique in all history for allowing
> "whatever morality one engenders".  "All history" covers an awful lot
of
> ground.

Name me another country, in all history, with separation of Church and
State, and individual freedom and liberty, as it's central doctrines.

This is an unusual place. :)

> Patriotism is fine and dandy, but jingoism gets old real fast.

You know, when you start thinking about what it is we have going here,
you'll find yourself getting embarassingly more and more patriotic as
the days go by. At least I am. Maybe because I'm getting older, and all
soggy and emotional and grateful for everything I have, most importantly
my sunny, idealistic dreams of a free and tolerant society in the
future, where my children and great grandchildren will be able to live
with complete individual freedom to be whoever they want to be.

I am a persistently naive, all-American idealistic 60's hippie
flower-child, with a quintessentially American picture of the perfect
world.

Love Liza