America Turns 238: Happy Independence Day!

For the past few weeks, we have hoped, prayed, cheered, and suffered as our boys in Red, White, and Blue fought in Brazil, not for the names on the back of their jerseys, but for the nation that those uniforms represent.  And while Tim Howard and his band filter back to the regular world from their exploits in Brazil, having made all of America proud, it's rather fitting that we wrap up the past few weeks - where people from all over the country stood shoulder to shoulder, chanting that they believed - with the birthday celebration of our great nation, a birthday celebration for the country that those guys played their hearts out for.

After all, America's birthday is a special day, for it marks the day that a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal was born. For 238 years, the United States of America has been a beacon of light, of hope, and of freedom to the entire world. On this day, a radical new idea took root upon this continent:

That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

There are no words that adequately describe the amazing importance of this day, not just for us, but for the cause of liberty across the world. Even now, in our modern age, across the world, millions of men and women live in the silencing darkness of oppression. While we take this day of rest to distract ourselves from the failures of Chianti Dan and his Morgan Center ilk and instead enjoy a barbeque, lounge by a pool, join in a block party, and watch fireworks, many of our brethren across the world look to the heavens, not to see the celebratory fireworks of freedom, but rather, for any sign of relief from brutal totalitarian oppression.

It is why, throughout our nation's history, the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, have flocked to these shores, have embraced this dream, have left their homelands and followed the beacon of that lamp beside the golden door - it is the liberty for which this day embodies.

So, as we celebrate our liberty, take some time to reflect on how fortunate we, as Americans, are to enjoy those precious gifts: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For millenia, men have strived to be free. On July 4, 1776, that dream, that lofty aspiration, that wonderful right, was realized, not just for a fleeting moment, but realized for good. For, as long as young American men and women are willing to raise their right hand and pledge to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, freedom's survival is ensured.

On this Independence Day, as we enjoy our holiday, our block parties, our cold beers, and our fireworks, we should not only remember the brave men and women who have sacrificed upon the altar of freedom, who have given the last full measure of devotion for the cause of liberty, but we also should dedicate ourselves to the dream of July 4, 1776 and continue to strive to ensure, that no matter the challenge, no matter the cost, and no matter the danger, that liberty's survival is ensured.

Happy Independence Day!