Java is a so-so language, but the JVM ecosystem is excellent. That said, a lot of good things are done with Java, and it's my main development language on the job right now.
Scala is looking very promising as a really excellent language atop the JVM. Clojure also has a lot of adherents these days.
Probably you are the first guy that I hear that have a 'love letter to Java'. I like your POV and you are absolutely right although I don't like Java very much, but it's because it is what taught me in college. If I write a love letter it would be for Ruby.
Hey, I just wanted to know what you didn't like about java. Since 1.6 things have been getting very good for the ecosystem. Would you care to share some of your complaints?
IMO is to heavy for what it does and is what teach me in 3 years of college, and I haven't a great opinion about college.
And for the past years I create a great relation with RoR, love the simplicity of just open terminal and sublime.