That's what I heard the President say today in his address to the Naval Academy. It was an appropriate statement for Memorial Day and for all of us immigrants. I immigrated to the US twice: from Canada in 1964 and again from London in 1972. I became a citizen in 1992 joining what Fareed Zakaria calls "The Universal Nation", the only one that invites the rest of the world to become one of us. Going through the process always makes a good story. From the complete indifference of the IRS clerks right to the swearing in by the Federal Judge and waving the little flags they give out. At my citizenship party I gave out a quiz with two sections: What every American knows (no one knew which States were separated by the Mason-Dixon line* and a section called What every Canadian knows (when I asked who the leading NHL scorer was and hinted it was not Wayne Gretzky, everyone put down Wayne Gretzky)** I prefer being an American (it was good enough for the brother of Canada's Governor General)*** and besides who wants to live in a bilingual, socialist monarchy. In referring to Canada Theodore Roosevelt said, 'I want a nation, not a boarding house". It's the one and only nation for me.
* The Mason/Dixon line separates Pennsylvania and Maryland
** At the time it was still Gordie Howe
*** Raymond Massey was Vincent Massey's better known brother.
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