Yes Alida, a bit corny, but well worth saying. Well done. We’re indeed very fortunate, especially above all for the Rule of Law. Economic opportunity + Rule of Law + a well educated populace is indeed what America is good at. But, as you point out, there’s plenty of room for improvement. That kid you mention could be from Baltimore or New Orleans. And just a few lines from Ice Cube’s “Alive on Arrival” shows how first responders can misbehave even in America. And of course, the law is still unfairly stacked against African Americans and other minorities as Dr. Dre, Easy E, Ice Cube, Yella Boy, and MC Ren document in their timeless classic, Straight Out of Compton. (As you can see, I learned all my sociology from gangsta rap.)

The good news is we have the right recipe and we’re (hopefully) always trying to improve it, and for that I’m thankful too.