To honour the 4^th, I’m interrupting my story to reflect on my native land.  The cat does not always have an easy go of it in America.  In general, most Americans accept us.  I’m lucky about that.

We cats have relied on our charm, good looks, and agility to win countless Americans over.  These good Americans show their love us by various signs.  It is America that you will encounter Maine Coon Cats or American Short Hairs.  The names bespeak our membership in the American community.

Often I am grateful that America is a creedal nation.  Americans are not a Blut und Boden nation, even though in the white heat of our day’s politics, too many Americans forget that.  I don’t even know if I was born in the states.  I think so, but don’t know it.  My best guess is that I was born in Texas.  Of course, most of the folks in my Childhood neighbourhood near Martinez Creek in San Antonio chattered away in Spanish with ease.  The priests spoke it too.

Much of the politics in this country confuses me.  Take the crowds of people pressing to cross the Rio Grande or come into California from Baja or Arizona or New Mexico.  They are not, as my lefty chums imply, undocumented citizens.  They are people wishing to become residents and sometimes American citizens.  If they get into the US, their children become creedal Americans.  As often as not, the parents of these Americans do too. 

If they all have desires, it is to build a life in America rather than in Meso-America, Mexico, or someplace else.  If blood matters, many come to American by losing blood to arrive.  

Should people who sneak into America be allowed to stay?  Let’s face it, we’re past the days when Texas Rangers could throw their butts across the US-Mexico border into cacti.  I don’t know if they “should” be here.  What I do know is that, like me, they are here.  And they’re not lining up to leave either.  They’re also transforming into Americans by being in El Norte. 

Right now, a lot of Americans are waging war on one another over the recent SCOTUS decision on abortions. I’ve not read Dobbs.  Like most people, I’ve better stuff to do than read Alito.  If I’m going to read something, I’d rather read from Elliott’s Book of Practical Cats. 

But consider the facts.  You can’t make Americans to do what they don’t want to do, no matter how mean get in trying to make them.

I used to live in Tennessee.  Only the gods know how much Hill Billy Heroin folks in Hamblen, Cocke, Sevier, Knox, Hawkins, or other counties are east Tennessee are using.  It’s a lot.

Take my word for it.  It’s less legal than abortion and has been for a long time.  From what mike tells me, its being unlawful doesn’t count much with that crowd.  And there is precedent.  They didn’t give a damn that making moonshine was unlawful either.  Where there’s a way.  Will having abortions be more of a nuisance?  For the next few years, sure.   

Anyway, what a person thinks about abortion isn’t what makes an American.  Whatever the core creedal beliefs of Americans are, getting “right-think,” whatever that might be, on abortion isn’t in the core.

A lot of the probable core is silly.  If you’re an American you know the words of the “American Anthem” as surely as a Frenchy knows the words of “The Marseillaise.”  You may know that Nathan Hale regretted having only one life to give for his country, that Washington was the first President, or that American flags have one star for each state in the Union.  You’ll know that baseball games have a 7^th inning stretch, that in the south people think NASCAR is a sport and that nowadays not many blacks vote for Republicans and that not many guys fond of camo vote for Democrats.  You’ll know too that the right-wing loons vote Republican and that lefty crazies vote Democrat. 

The odds are you have little idea of the steps it takes to pass a federal law.  If you call the war Americans waged on one another from 1861 to 1865 “The War between the States,” you’re a Republican and if you call it “The War to free the Slaves” you’re definitely a Democrat.  If you can name all the cabinet members of the current administration, you’re either young and do your homework, overeducated, or Joe Biden.

I could go on about being an American, but I am pretty sure that the beliefs that make us Americans are more like those above than what people get asked on a citizenship test.  Most Americans also hate adultery, but not so much that they plan to change their ways.  In that way, they’re just like Toms, except we Toms don’t pretend to hate adultery.  And even though I’m a good American, I don’t get my fur in a knot at the idea of teens rutting with one another.  Teens do that.  And it’s very wrong of them to mention it to their parents it’s a matter of respect.

And on the 4^th, all we Americans make a show of our passion for fireworks, sunburn, BBQ, and beer.  There’s other stuff we Americans like too, especially on the boozy holidays, which is why the population is just short of 330 million.

And there is so much American stuff.  But I’m an American kitty.  I love it all.  And I don’t care how stupid I may think your politics or practices are, please know I love you.  After all, I’m not known as “The Love Machine” for nothing.  I love you.  Now have some BBQ and beer, give you main squeeze a squeeze, eat BBQ, guzzle beer, and get sozzled enough to go do something extravagant for an American cat. As the great Dionne Warwick once sang, “What the world needs now/ is cats sweet cats/ it’s the only thing/ that there’s just too little of.  “Believe it.  Believe it!”  Please forget my namesake never won a fight in San Antonio!  Happy 4^th!  Love, Crockett (aka The Love Machine or Crocky)