The Fourth of July: A special time for Americans

The Fourth of July is a special time in the history of the country. Thirteen colonies decided to try their fate alone, and contest the greatest military force in the world: the United Kingdom.

Well, things worked out after a lot of sacrifices by so many people. I was speaking to someone on line in the store today, they informed me the 4th was about the troops and it commemorated the Gettysburg Address.

Don't get me wrong, President Lincoln's address was a biggie; best speech ever. As for the troops, they deserve our every prayer and hope. But let's not confuse what the Fourth of July was about: It was about some guys who dedicated themselves, their futures and their fortunes to the prospect that liberty was more important than anything else. They believed in the rights of man and the imperative of those rights. They believed a country could be forged where those rights meant more than anywhere else on the earth so far. And that is something to commemorate alright.

You know, it might not be a bad idea for folks to remember just what those guys back in the day thought was so important about the natural rights of man and what they meant. It was worth everything to them, so maybe it's still worth an occasional read today. As I see it, we probably owe them at least that much.