I should have known better. In fact, I did know better.

Canada had already lost (after an admittedly sterling effort) its FIFA game against Morocco. The Blue Jays were decimated by Seattle. I should have gone to bed then. But it was July 4 and Trump was speaking at 11 p.m. The masochist in me wanted more.

I knew what I was going to get. Or rather, what I wasn’t going to get. The man never says anything with elegance or grace. Never with generosity of spirit or words of healing or comfort. Never with what he says not being about himself. Why should it be any different on his nation’s 250th birthday?

Actually, it wasn’t quite as horrible as I thought it might be. Parts of the ceremony were moving. Parts interesting.

There was 107-year-old Arthur Rose, who had gone ashore on D-Day, standing straight to salute his........

© Peterborough Examiner