I’m a first-generation American who has always cared very deeply about our country. I have served this nation both as a government contractor and as a federal employee for most of my working career. And I firmly believe in the fundamental principles that our forefathers embraced when they drafted our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights. I know what it is to be truly American, and I know what it is not.

If you are like me, then you understand that being an American is more than waving the U.S. flag. It is more than wrapping the flag around you like a holy cloak and loudly proclaiming that you are one with God and Country. Any fool can do these things – and unfortunately, many of them do.

But if you are an American, you understand that this country was built on compromise and never would have existed if it were not for compromise. You understand that while we are One Nation, we are also many people, with many backgrounds and many diverse beliefs. And it is this diversity that has always given us our unique strengths, ingenuity, and drive. And lastly, you understand that being an American is not easy. It requires informed participation in our government, including fact-checking what we hear and read. It requires remembering our forefathers and what they held sacred. It requires putting the welfare of this country above any single party or any single individual.

This blog contains two categories: One focuses on the health of our nation. In general, it is present-day focused. The other category addresses more timeless topics. These topics are important to me (and perhaps to you as well); and it is for this reason that I give them voice.