Welcome and congratulations to the 525 new citizens of the United States of America who took the Oath of Allegiance on the Fourth of July at Seattle Center.

Same to the 4,200 new citizens nationwide who did the same.

It can be easy to forget the advantages Americans have until you read some of the comments made by these new citizens: One can't wait to register to vote, another is delighted by the chance to work hard because if you do you "get opportunities, many opportunities."

A democratic society and a economic system that mostly works pretty well, at least in comparison to much of the rest of the world. It's good to have new citizens come along and remind us of what's right about this land of immigrants.