Every year on this date, I take a few minutes and read The Declaration of Independence*. For my money, it’s one of the greatest documents ever written in the English language.
I know not all of my readers are Americans. Even if you’re not, the Declaration is a fantastic work and you should read it. And if you have the time – and you should make the time – read The Bill of Rights, too. You may not be from a country with the same laws we do, the same values we do, or the same attitudes we do, but the Founders of the United States of America had some pretty good ideas about what the citizens have the right to do, and what the government does not.
Living up to those ideas, those ideals, is what America is about. These freedoms are not given, they are earned, and must always be protected. Remember:
Happy 234th, America.
* I was not surprised at all to find out that Adam Savage has the same tradition.
