Great essay Douglas. I had a remarkable Czech housemate in college. He told us tales of the Prague Spring, and his harrowing escape under a tour bus when the Soviets invaded. Despite having an engineering degree, he had to work as a janitor, with colleagues who treated like an idiot, while he honed his English skills. He had such a jest for life, like the "wild and crazy guys" from the old Saturday Night Live skit. We lost touch over the years, and last I heard of him he was a senior executive at a large German company. Thank you for reminding me about him. We might have some of our best kids leaving under tour buses if Totalitarianism continues coming to America.