Here's a mug of root beer to Tony Blair. Today he told Congress the same old thing. Like:

But you, like me, know who the real heroes are: those brave servicemen and women, yours and ours, who fought the war and risk their lives still. And our tribute to them should be measured in this way: by showing them and their families that they did not strive or die in vain, but that through their sacrifice, future generations can live in greater peace, prosperity and hope.

We've heard it all before, but we need to hear it more, as often as possible. These sentiments are a litmus test for our souls. If they don't bring tears to your eyes and a lump to your through, you've been spending too much time watching network news. This is what all those flags are about, and the sparklers on the Fourth. It's what the National Anthem is for; why we put our hands over our hearts and recite the pledge. This is what prayer should be in school for--not to divide us, but to express the awareness that none of us has really earned the blessings we enjoy, and that we are all united as human beings with good will toward each other, despite all the differences that make us unique. It should tell us that the creed of this nation is equality and basic rights, and that we owe reverence to those principles just as most of us revere what is holy.

There must be a time when we quit thinking of reasons and ways to attack our political opponents and making a man an offender for a word, and just remember what this nation has accomplished, in spite of all its flaws: a society where equality is assumed, where respect is expected, and kindness is still given even to some who will only return contempt and hatred, such as illegal combatants held in a detention camp, but gain weight, and wounded enemies are given medical care. There must be a time where we drop the sniping and whinging and think more about what we all can do to spread these values, which we were given by generations who never had it this good, throughout the world.