Scandals plague Washington. Critics attack the president from all sides. Partisans go at each other tooth and nail, and not just on talk radio but in Congress itself.
To put it another way: Ain't America grand?
Because it's obvious on Memorial Day that there's no finer country on Earth.
If you could ask the service members who were being honored Monday what they fought and died for, chances are they'd describe a situation exactly like the above. Why?
Because it's governance at its all-too-human, all-too-imperfect best.
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It's democracy at work -- nothing more, nothing less. It's how we solve problems in these United States; and except for a certain fracas known as the Civil War, it has worked exceptionally well for 226 years. And it shows no sign of weakening now.
Sure, there's discord, insults and accusations. But think of what there isn't: Armed uprisings. Shooting wars between the states. An insurrection like the one happening in Syria, where tanks pound rebel outposts and blood flows in the streets.
In the U.S., citizens have quarrels and differences almost as vast, but they settle them through argument, not arms. The arguments get heated at times and the accusations fly.
But how often does an enraged representative, say, stride onto the floor of the chamber and beat a senator with a cane? As American History buffs know, that actually happened.
Once.
In 1856.
And that was 157 years ago.
Since then, we passed through (and won) two world wars, endured the Great Depression and watched scandals result in one modern president's impeachment and another president being forced to resign.
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But those are examples of governance successes, not failures. They show that in America, no person is a king -- not even the president. And they're part and parcel of the most remarkable feat of all, the one we absolutely take for granted: the peaceful transition of power, which happens like clockwork every few years.
It may seem routine; it's anything but. It's a staggering achievement, and it guarantees the United States of America a prominent and honored place in the history of the world.
The quarreling can seem ugly, but it's how we learn from our mistakes and bring about positive change. That process is under way at this very moment. It's as meaningful today as it was in 1787, when the founders quarreled over the Constitution itself.
These debates and their peaceful resolution have secured our country's status as the richest, most powerful and arguably most important country on Earth.
And the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen in America's much-decorated Army of the Fallen know it.
From their vantage on the Great Parade Ground in the sky, they're gazing down at their astonishing country with pride.
Dennis is the opinion editor of the Grand Forks Herald, which is a part of Forum News Service. Email him at tdennis@gfherald.com .
