It hurts me to say this ...

[Tom Rinaldo]

41. So sadly true and very well said, Nance

Thank you for putting this into words. I have always been fiercely proud of America's revolutionary legacy. I still am. We played a critical role in human history. The American Revolution preceded the French Revolution, in an era when throughout most of the world individual families ruled nations as a birthright, or worse still, as an alleged divine right.

At our founding we articulated principles far more noble than we were capable of fully embracing at the time. It doesn't take holding a degree in history to see that. We fell horribly short of that vision, but the vision itself held power that over the course of generations inspired millions of us to continually do more to make it real. By and large we kept inching forward toward that more perfect union, to that more just society. It is incredibly painful now to watch us slipping backwards. It is hard to be proud of America today, but I remain hopeful that we can regroup, and continue the march forward toward being the inclusive and just nation that it is still in our destiny to become.