Long Beach Police Chief Flint Wright was reminded last weekend of all he loves about the USA and our little corner of it.

I saw America yesterday. Not the America of the news reports with constant violence, division and arguing. I saw the America that we at times begin to think is a thing of the past.

As I led the Loyalty Day Parade through Long Beach I was overwhelmed with an appreciation for this community and this nation that I live in. I saw a diverse group of people. I saw Hispanic families with children holding American flags and waving at me as I drove by. I saw Indian families and other Asian families doing the same. There were white people and black people waving and clapping and enjoying the day. They were smiling and laughing, and it reminded me of something: I need to remember that even with all our differences and disagreements there is still no other country on this earth that I would rather live in.

I must be honest that the older I get the more I worry about my country. Perhaps that’s an age thing — I don’t know. What I do know is that maybe I should spend less time focusing on the negative and more time looking at the good things going on around me.

I have been blessed beyond anything I could ever deserve and two of those blessings are living in the United States and on the Long Beach Peninsula. I was reminded of that because I saw America yesterday.

FLINT WRIGHT

Ilwaco