My father loved the 4th of July. He became a citizen in 1993 and from then on, we had a small American flag planted on the edge of a wooden fence near the shrubbery in front of my childhood home. That sun-faded flag somehow lasted through a quarter century of terrible weather 1/

BUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

We did it…we hit the quadfecta of bias! Don’t ever change, you guys. Sports are pretty great. So is the job. Love you all. Really, I do.

It helps to recognize that. Because maybe I can start to enjoy the spoils of a life once driven by anger and resentment. Maybe plant my own flag in one place long enough to where it has the chance to wear many years of rain and snow and fade with the light of the sun. /fin

Finally an officer picked me up, removed the cuffs and sat me on the couch. They sat my remaining brother next to me. After all the demands for a warrant, my short-fused brother got into a shouting match with an officer and then shoved him. He was immediately arrested. 14/

I don't remember much of the next two hours. The furniture being broken and moved, items thrown, one brother demanding to view a warrant...all of the noise was muffled and dulled. At one point, they took my brother back to one of the six squad cars that had lined the street 13/

After the officer realized I was docile from fear paralysis, coupled with the fact that he was twice my size, he sat me down on the floor of the living room. "Just stay calm. We have to take a look around." He left the handcuffs on. I didn't like how they felt on my wrists. 12/

My brother was already in handcuffs as they escorted him into the house. He had been arrested at the 7-11 two blocks away. "Possession with intent to distribute". That's how he made his money. I made mine by cleaning the house and the police began ransacking the entire place. 11/