4th of July

On July 4, 1776, the people in the colonies of the future United States claimed their independence from Britain and Democracy was born. That was 232 years ago, and though this country definitely has a lot of serious problems, I still believe it's the best one in the world.

Though I've usually been more of a Lincoln buff, these past several months I've been more focused on history of the Revolution and the formation of our government. I must thank HBO's brilliant "John Adams" for re-introducing me to characters that I loved reading about as a child. Those were times when men, women and children sacrificed everything they had to be free of oppression and to have a voice. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - this is what they sought.

Today is truly a celebration, and I hope everyone has a great time in whatever manner they see fit to acknowledge the occasion.