"We Hold These Truths to be Self-Evident"

To coin a phrase from the Marine Corps: This is my flag. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

It has flown outside our house for several years, and the wind and weather have taken their toll on it. So, it seems fitting that we replace it on Independence Day with a new, and this time, a slightly larger flag. But while times change, it is still Old Glory, the Stars and Stripes. It still conveys the same message that we are all free people, part of a democratic republic, and that (as it says in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence) "...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..."

Today, July Fourth, is Independence Day in America.

While the Congress officially separated the American colonies from Great Britain on July second, 1776, it did not officially approve the letter to King George (the Declaration of Independence) until July fourth. From that day on, Americans have always celebrated our independence from the Crown on the fourth. And it's always been a joyous and festive occasion!

John Adams, one of the original signers, wrote this to his wife, Abigail: "...I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

Let's celebrate! Happy Birthday, America.