Happy Birthday to the United States of America

Sometimes we seem to forget that The Declaration of Independence is more than just a piece of paper. It is a symbol of our country's independence and commitment to certain ideas.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence wanted the citizens of the United States to have a document that spelled out what was important to our leaders and citizens. They wanted us to be able to look at the Declaration of Independence and immediately think of the goals we should always be working for, and about the people who have fought so hard to make these ideas possible.

The people who signed the Declaration risked being hanged for treason by the leaders in Great Britain. They had to be very brave to sign something that would be considered a crime!

Every time we look at the Declaration of Independence, we should think about all of the effort and ideas that went into the document, and about the courage it took for these people to stand up for what they knew was right -- independence!

Today is certianly a different time than the colonial days, but with so many Americans out of work, two wars, a massive oil spill in the gulf and the upcoming elections, we should not take for granted a single word written in this incredible document.

Celebrate the Fourth of July, be thankful that you are lucky enough to be a citizen of such a wonderful Country and pledge to become an active citizen in your Country's electoral process. We cannot take for granted what so many people fight, die and dedicate their lives to.

Let us have courage to stand up for what we know is right, just and fair.

Fireworks

(taken in part from - www.history.com/topics/july-4th)