In general, I LOVE the 4th of July. It celebrates the adoption by the Continental Congress of one of Thomas Jefferson’s greatest pieces: The Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration was the first formal statement, by a people, asserting their right to choose their own government. Read that again. The Declaration was the first formal statement, by a people, asserting their right to choose their own government.

We were, with the Declaration, and again with the US Constitution, a nation of firsts. I like to go to the National Constitution Center. One of my pick fave things to do is to go up to the second floor, to the front of the building, out onto the balcony, and look south across Independence Mall, to Independence Hall, where the Constitution was written. I think of the men who negotiated and finally agreed to this marvel that made us a country of laws. They were guilty of treason against the Crown, as America was still part of Great Britain. They, and all the men, women and children who stood up, offered their lives so that going forward, we could breathe free. Continue Reading...