Independence day spirit and Dara Torres

Dara Torres is the oldest in the U.S. swimming team - and perhaps among all swimmers in the Olympic - competing in her 5th Olympics. Neither the sexiest nor the prettiest athlete (but she posed on Maxim magazine in 2000).

And, umm, she's got short hair too.

What she recently did in the semifinal was quite a topic, given the competitive nature of the event: helping out a rival swimmer.

"Therese's suit ripped when we were getting ready to walk out," Torres said. "I tried to help her with it, tried to do it up, and it ripped again. So I walked out and was trying to get them to hold the race for her. I was saying, 'Her suit's ripped.' And waving my arms around."

A counter argument on this is that what she did actually threw off other swimmers' concentration. Ridiculous argument. I think what she did was based on fairness, or fair play - one that some soccer players just fail to do.

On how this qualifies as an independence day spirit, I'm not sure. (What is independence day spirit, anyway?)

But for the sake of it - her act is a quality that we, as a nation, must possess to move forward. To accomplish what our predecessors dreamed of, and to correct mistakes we did in the past.

The quality of being fair, unselfish, and mindful of others.

We have been an independent nation for 63 years, and we're still fighting over things because our lack of this quality, for crying out loud.

It's been too long. It's the time now to move on.

Merdeka.