This weekend is the Fourth of July. We will celebrate over 230 years of the world’s greatest design for liberty and self-government. I look forward to this celebratory holiday in which we pay tribute to the patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence, and also the brave men and women who have fought to protect our freedoms through every generation that has followed. No colony had ever successfully left a mother country to set up a self-governing state. Not only were the historical odds set against them, they were set to fight against the world’s most powerful Navy. We all too frequently take our American life for granted; the Fourth of July is a time to appreciate and celebrate the blessing of liberty and be thankful that we are Americans.
Our nation declared its independence in order for our families to live free – not just for one generation but for future generations. Over 200 years ago, the Fourth of July was simply a hot summer day. But on this day our forefathers signed a document; this document would go on to change history, setting America’s path toward independence starting with those familiar words that are the foundation of this great nation.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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.”
There are so many things about this country that make it the best place to live. Just the other day, I saw a story that the Boston Marathon, bouncing back from the tragedy last year, has shattered charity raising records with almost twice as much money than last year. This is the kind of country that we live in, and with each passing day we have a system in place that allows the American people to further improve their collective home. I hope you will join me in your own way this weekend in celebrating America’s journey from that momentous day in 1776.