I've mentioned previously that perhaps the most accurate description of an editorial writer or columnist is someone who comes down out of the hills after the battle is over and shoots the wounded.

I've observed from the hills and shot a few wounded, but I've also come to greatly appreciate the good people down on the battlefield, winning some, losing some and getting pretty beaten up in the process. My council members do get one benefit. They get to ride in the big Centerville Independence Day parade and wave to the crowd. They're politicians, after all. (Although Mayor Deamer says he doesn't throw candy because it provides ammunition for people to throw back at him.)

Pignanelli: On this July 4th, there is much to prompt apprehension for America. Iraqi self-governance is shaky at best. The most popular movie this weekend paints the president as a liar, buffoon or both. Partisanship in Washington, D.C., is so raw the vice president uses the "F" word on the Senate floor to castigate a senator. Self-indulgence and sloth are rampant, and obesity is a major cause of illness. Our global public relations are a mess — President Bush is confronting protesters in countries that were once our staunchest allies. Increasingly, the nation is dividing along the "red state and blue state" demographic differences. According to the polls, a majority of Americans believe the country is in trouble. Despite these challenges, our borders are inundated with "the tired, poor huddled masses" in search of the American Dream. These foreigners know, as immigrants for hundreds of years have readily acknowledged, our land offers hope, freedom and the best chance for prosperity.

My wife and I named all our children in honor of family ancestors who immigrated to this country, fleeing persecution and seeking a better life. Whether pushing a handcart across the American desert in the footsteps of Brigham Young in order to worship freely or braving the harsh Texas plains to escape British oppression and the grinding poverty in Ireland, the Pignanelli and Dixon family forebears struggled to carve a new destiny for themselves. As with millions of Americans, they succeeded and consistently exhibited thanks for the opportunities provided to them.