The 4th of July? Really, is that what we are celebrating, a date? The 4th of July is no more the reason to celebrate than the 1st of January or the 25th of December. Excuse the semantics, but it seems that we have managed to lump INDEPENDENCE DAY into the same group of American holidays as my favorite ‘excuse to drink’, Cinco de Mayo. And can someone please explain to me why the heck we celebrate this anyway? They don’t even recognize that minor skirmish with the French in Mexico! Hopefully we all paid proper deference to the Queen on May 18th, Victoria Day...but I digress.

The purpose of this post is to try to remind anyone willing to listen that each year, on the 4th day of July, this nation celebrates Independence Day. On July 4th, 1776, Congress made the unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America. Perhaps these words ring a bell: “When in the course of human events…” or “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” anybody for “…Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”? How about one that may apply to our recent administrations and certainly to our State, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…” But, I digress yet again.

On this holiday we celebrate our independence from tyranny and persecution. How’s about this year we add a little something to the spectacle. Let’s take a minute between mouthfuls of bratwurst to explain to the kids the significance of what I believe to be the most important United States holiday there is. How it is that we as a culture can manage to pass on the fairy tales of Squanto and the pilgrims in November, but we can’t relay how over two centuries ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation? The fireworks are more than for oohs and aahs, they are the rockets red glare, they are the bombs bursting in air.

Happy Birthday to what in spite of how the politicians try to screw it up is still the greatest nation on earth.