Jean Miller was born on July 4, 1926, when America celebrated its 150th birthday. One hundred years later, she rang in her 100th as the nation celebrated its 250th.
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) July 10, 2026
Safe to say, that's one birthday for the history books. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ToLr08ILv6
Showing posts with label 4th of July. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4th of July. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2026
VIDEO: On Our 250th, She Turned 100!
Sunday, July 5, 2026
Saturday, July 4, 2026
On Our 250th: 101 Reasons To LOVE America!
And is it OK to proclaim it -- to show it and shout it out, loud and clear?
Sometimes -- especially now, on our 250th -- you have to wonder.Of course, the media, the intelligentsia, the popular culture and the dreary liberals who apparently dominant those and other groups have been having a field day downing America -- overlooking its pluses and magnifying its very few minuses. And too many people are buying this nonsense -- especially miserable Democrats, liberals, socialists and the like.
If these people had their way, we'd erase America's largely admirable history; snuff out America's glorious triumphs; dismiss America's generous heart; ignore the will of ordinary, everyday Americans and pretty much outlaw old-fashioned patriotism.
But so much for all that. This is a day for celebration and we're here to uphold America; to herald it; to joyously bask in its riches; to celebrate it and to shout as loud as we can: "Happy Birthday, America! We LOVE you!"
So, in that spirit (but in no particular order) here is our own rather subjective list of 101 reasons to love America.
You can feel free to add or subtract from this list or create your own list -- maybe you'll even come up with 250 reasons. America gives you the freedom to do that -- and a lot more:
1) Our Constitution. The thread that holds us together and the bulwark of democracy.
2) Our federal system of 50 states, each distinctive, each free and independent but united as well. Remember: we are a republic. And thank goodness this was all just reaffirmed in several landmark decisions by our wonderful Supreme Court.
3) The Liberty Bell. Forever flawed though nonetheless inspiring and eternal.
4) The Founding Fathers and what they wrought. They risked their lives, property, fortunes and sacred honor. They weren't perfect, nor were the documents they crafted, but the principles they espoused remain a model for the world.
5) American summers, for summer is surely America's season.
6) Old glory, our flag -- proud, bright, brash and always flying high.
7) In God We Trust. Our enduring faith in Him and His destiny for us. Never, ever abandon or dishonor it. And, now -- celebrate the right to pray in public and to uphold your religious beliefs.
8) Baseball -- despite MLB and those who think they own the game, baseball belongs to everyone. While football may be America's sport, baseball remains its pastime. There is a difference.
9) The 4th of July. Our birthday and our touchstone. Never let others diminish or dishonor it.
10) Free elections. The right to choose the leaders that we want. Fight to keep them fair, verifiable and honest -- especially right now. This cherished right helps to secure all others.
11) Jazz. America's unique musical art form.
12) Those who served. Our veterans, protectors of our freedom.
13) The American Red Cross. There when we need them. And the Salvation Army, too!
14) Our free enterprise system. A model for the entire world.
15) Country music. The hip-slapping spirit of America.
16) Our glorious history -- a story that needs to be fully and fairly told with honesty and pride.
17) The Statue of Liberty. May her torch always be held high.
18) The White House. Remember -- it belongs to all of us! And let's put somebody in that house who's capable of actually leading -- with clarity, integrity, fortitude and common sense.
19) Our military --every branch and everyone who serves. Keep it focused on its core mission: to defend us fervently. Protect it from woke distractions.
20) The Grand Canyon. In a word, breathtaking. Keep it open and welcoming for everyone.
21) The great American novel. From the great white whale to The Great Gatsby, keep spinnin' those tales!
22) Freedom to worship, Our many houses of faith all across the land.
23) The Interstate Highway System. Thank you, President Eisenhower.
24) Our first responders, brave and steadfast.
25) Small towns. Where America's heart beats true.
26) Television. Yes, old-fashioned TV. For better or worse, it still reflects us and epitomizes the popular culture.
27) Our farmers. Keeping the agrarian spirit alive and the horn of plenty full -- especially across the Midwest and the Great Plains!
28) Broadway. The Great White Way, and all that it represents and all the razzle dazzle that surrounds it.
29) American cars (and our love affair with the car). The US auto industry is a vital pillar of our economy and a nurturer of our restless spirit -- and that includes those beloved gas-powered cars, too!
30) Cookouts and picnics. Munching under the sky with family and friends.
31) Las Vegas. Vegas, baby, Vegas!
32) Thanksgiving. A uniquely American holiday, the lead up to Christmas and the kickoff of our buying season.
33) The Rocky Mountains. America's sturdy backbone.
34) Neighbors and neighborhoods. Our real time, real people link in a high-tech age.
35) Our national park system. Even with those pesky rangers, it's a joy.
36) Our two-party system. It’s seen better times but it's still better than a lot of alternatives, so long as we fight for fair elections.
37) Apple pie. Yummy, yummy!
38) Gospel music. Expressing faith, love, joy and anguish.
39) The Gateway Arch. A soaring, inspiring welcome to America's frontier.
40) Cowboys. The enduring source of our wanderlust.
41) Elvis Presley. The King is on the premises, now and forever.
42) Roadside America. Every diner, dive and roadside attraction everywhere.
43) Flowering gardens. Roses and marigolds and azaleas and magnolias and all those other beautiful flowers and all the people who help make them bloom.
44) Our volunteer spirit -- from Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys right up to the present day.
45) Those who gave their all. All those who died protecting our freedoms, many buried on foreign soil. And all POWs and MIAs. We shall never forget.
46) A free press. We love them. We hate them. We curse them. We praise them. But most of all, we pray that most of them find their way back to objectivity.
47) The blues. Sad, sultry, soulful.
48) Andy Warhol. He made the ordinary extraordinary and made us look anew at modern art.
49) Dunkin Donuts. It's true: America runs on Dunkin!
50) New York. In more ways than one, the world's most exciting city. Let's hope it finds its way back -- and with those who lead with common sense.
51) Big Sur, Malibu, Monterey and the entire California coast, from top to bottom as well as all other enchanting seacoasts, including you, New Jersey!
52) Free public libraries. Let a million voices (and authors) be heard and keep them open to all and free of propaganda.
53) Our system of higher education -- especially our great public universities. Let's clean them up, clear them out and rid them of indoctrination and bias.
54) The legacy of Norman Rockwell. The man who showed us the best in ourselves.
55) Texas. Big. Bold. Proud. American.
56) Ferris wheels. From the 1893 Chicago World's Fair till now, still enchanting. And merry-go-rounds and roller coasters, too.
57) The Kentucky Derby. The legendary run for the roses.
58) Mount Rushmore. Our history wrought mammoth. And let's not change a thing about it.
59) The Smithsonian. Endlessly fascinating and still free.
60) NASA. To the moon and beyond -- with newer, bigger adventures ahead.
61) The Super Bowl. A bowl full of partying in an otherwise dull month.
62) The South. Lush land of tall tales, spirited music, colorful characters and fiery history.
63) Hot dogs. Plump, juicy and smothered with your choice of dressings, garnishes, condiments, whatever . . .
64) Home sweet home. The house you live it; your land, your property, your domicile and your right to treasure it and protect it.
65) The Great Lakes. Can you name all five of them?
66) Grandma Moses. The modern-day mother of self-taught American art.
67) Marilyn Monroe. Defying convention, she made America sexy once and for all.
68) The Mississippi. Mighty from top to bottom and everywhere in between.
69) The Indy 500. Vrrroooomm, vrrrrroooomm!
70) The great wits. From Mark Twain to Will Rogers to Dorothy Parker to Art Buchwald to Erma Bombeck to P. J. O'Rourke to Gutfeld.
71) The heartland. From Ohio to Iowa, where ordinary, everyday America thrives.
72) Blue jeans. On the farm, in the city and everywhere else.
73) "God Bless America." The people's anthem that Irving Berlin wrote just for us and the song that Kate Smith immortalized. Shame on Philly's Flyers for banishing her!
74) Independence Hall. Where it all began.
75) The Lincoln Memorial and the man it celebrates. The ultimate monument to the single most compelling figure in American history.
76) Rock 'n roll (aka rock). Rhythm 'n blues, jazz, honkey talk, soul, gospel -- all rolled into one.
77) The West. Where our restless spirit was born.
78) Sneakers. From PF Flyers, Keds and Chuck Taylor Converse to a $13 billion a year industry, we love 'em.
79) Dr. King and his revered legacy: peace, freedom, justice!
80) Barbecue. Beef or pork, wet or dry, hot or sweet, it's America.
81) The Washington Monument. The highest point in the capital and a fitting tribute to the father of our country.
82) Alaska and Hawaii. Our exotic and adventurous extremes.
83) Uncle Sam. When he calls, be sure to answer.
84) The Stars and Stripes Forever, and all of those great Sousa marches and their Sousa bands.
85) Native Americans. Our true heritage rests with them.
86) American architecture. Art that we live in, work in, play in; a living lesson in constructed beauty with skylines that soar.
87) Walt Whitman. "I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear . . . "
89) Motown. The irrepressible sound of a lively, searching soul.
90) New Orleans. A sassy, saucy, scintillating survivor.
91) Rugged individualists, gadflies, iconoclasts, muckrakers, mavericks and all those who afflict the powerful. Charge onward!
92) Harley Davidson. Still the king of the road.
93) Geeks. The tinkerers, problem solvers and dreamers.
94) Comics and comic books. From zany dimwits and lovable losers to iconic super heroes.
95) Truckers and truck stops. Keep on Rollin!
96) New England. Lobster, chowder, rugged seacoasts and cherished traditions.
97) Scientific pioneers. The searchers, the discoverers, the trailblazers and all those who make the breakthroughs that enrich and lengthen our lives.
98) American fashion. From Ralph and Tommy to Donna and Vera. From Seventh Avenue to the world.
99) New Jersey. The distinctive state that gave us Sinatra and The Boss and taught us all how to be wise guys.
100) Willie Nelson. Is there anyone he hasn't sung with or any genre of music he hasn't yet recorded?
101) The American Dream. A better life for our children and our children's children. Always, our best days lie ahead.
101 Reasons to Love America copyright 2012, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 by Dan Cirucci.
Friday, July 3, 2026
Read It, Recite It, Share It With Others!
The unanimous declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.
But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature; a right inestimable to them and fromidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing, with manly firmness, his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us;
For protecting them, by a mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states;
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world;
For imposing taxes on us without our consent;
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury;
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses;
For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies;
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments;
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection, and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens, taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for redress, in the most humble terms. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred, to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, aquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Look At Washington Now: Thanks, President Trump!
These monuments tell the story of America.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) June 9, 2026
They honor the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom and the leaders who helped shape this nation.
Their beauty, history, and meaning remind us why America remains the greatest country on Earth.
They stand as lasting symbols of… pic.twitter.com/URf4x7NAzt
Monday, June 8, 2026
The Incredible Story Of Caesar Rodney, Patriot!
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Saturday, June 6, 2026
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Usha Vance To Deliver US250 July 4th Baby!
It'll be their fourth child and it's expected this July in time for America's big 250th Birthday Party. HOORAY!
Friday, December 26, 2025
Sunday, July 6, 2025
A Leader For The Ages, In His Own Profound Words!
Gives me chills🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 https://t.co/6tKIUvJ2p5
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) July 4, 2025
Thursday, July 3, 2025
4th of July Story, Message You'll NEVER Forget!
President Ronald Reagan wrote this 4th of July address himself in his own hand and delivered it on that date in 1981:
For one who was born and grew up in the small towns of the Midwest, there is a special kind of nostalgia about the Fourth of July.
I remember it as a day almost as long-anticipated as Christmas.
This was helped along by the appearance in store windows of all kinds of fireworks and colorful posters advertising them with vivid pictures.
No later than the third of July – sometimes earlier – Dad would bring home what he felt he could afford to see go up in smoke and flame.
We'd count and recount the number of firecrackers, display pieces and other things and go to bed determined to be up with the sun so as to offer the first, thunderous notice of the Fourth of July.
I'm afraid we didn't give too much thought to the meaning of the day.
And, yes, there were tragic accidents to mar it, resulting from careless handling of the fireworks. I'm sure we're better off today with fireworks largely handled by professionals. Yet there was a thrill never to be forgotten in seeing a tin can blown 30 feet in the air by a
giant "cracker" – giant meaning it was about 4 inches long.
But enough of nostalgia. Somewhere in our growing up we began to be aware of the meaning of days and with that awareness came the birth of patriotism. July Fourth is the birthday of our nation. I believed as a boy, and believe even more today, that it is the birthday of the
greatest nation on earth.
There is a legend about the day of our nation's birth in the little hall in Philadelphia, a day on which debate had raged for hours. The men gathered there were honorable men hard-pressed by a king who had flouted the very laws they were willing to obey. Even so, to sign
the Declaration of Independence was such an irretrievable act that the walls resounded with the words "treason, the gallows, the headsman's axe," and the issue remained in doubt.
The legend says that at that point a man rose and spoke. He is described as not a young man, but one who had to summon all his energy for an impassioned plea. He cited the grievances that had brought them to this moment and finally, his voice falling, he said, "They may turn every tree into a gallows, every hole into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die. To the mechanic in the workshop, they will speak hope; to the slave in the mines, freedom. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is around your neck, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the Bible of the rights of man forever."
He fell back exhausted. The 56 delegates, swept up by his eloquence, rushed forward and signed that document destined to be as immortal as a work of man can be. When they turned to thank him for his timely oratory, he was not to be found, nor could any be found who knew who he was or how he had come in or gone out through
the locked and guarded doors.
Well, that is the legend. But we do know for certain that 56 men, a little band so unique we have never seen their like since, had pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Some gave their lives in the war that followed, most gave their fortunes, and all preserved their sacred honor.
What manner of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists, 11 were merchants and tradesmen, and nine were farmers.
They were soft-spoken men of means and education; they were not an unwashed rabble. They had achieved security but valued freedom more. Their stories have not been told nearly enough.
John Hart was driven from the side of his desperately ill wife. For more than a year he lived in the forest and in caves before he returned to find his wife dead, his children vanished, his property destroyed. He died of exhaustion and a broken heart.
Carter Braxton of Virginia lost all his ships, sold his home to pay his debts, and died in rags. And so it was with Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Rutledge, Morris, Livingston and Middleton.
Nelson personally urged Washington to fire on his home and destroy it when it became the headquarters for\ General Cornwallis. Nelson died bankrupt.
But they sired a nation that grew from sea to shining sea. Five million farms, quiet villages, cities that never sleep, 3 million square miles of forest, field, mountain and desert, 227 million people with a pedigree that includes the bloodlines of all the world.
In recent years, however, I've come to think of that day as more than just the birthday of a nation.
It also commemorates the only true philosophical revolution in all history.
Oh, there have been revolutions before and since ours. But those revolutions simply exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours was a revolution that changed the very concept of government.
Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily
granted to it by the people.
We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should.
Happy Fourth of July.
Monday, June 30, 2025
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Philly Pops Will Highlight 'Welcome America' Again!
Over the past two years, this musician-focused ensemble has performed over 40 free concerts throughout the City of Philadelphia as well as performances in Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center. It has also forged critical partnerships with various organizations from the region, to spread the joy of its music and solidify its connection with the community. These relationships include collaborations with Wawa Welcome America for the Pops on Independence Concert (July 3, 2025 and 2026) and the Mann Center for the Performing Arts for a concert on August 7, 2025 featuring Grammy-Award-winning singer songwriter Jacob Collier.
Wawa Welcome America’s President and CEO Michael DelBene shared his enthusiasm about working with the reborn Philly Pops. He said, “We are thrilled to announce the return of Pops on Independence with the new Philly Pops on July 3rd. This long-standing tradition in this iconic location captivates audiences of all ages for an unforgettable evening of music and celebration.”
Catherine M. Cahill, President and CEO of the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, has also confirmed the value they place on their relationship with the orchestra. She said, “The return of the soon-to-be Philly Pops, currently referred to as No Name Pops, is a cause for celebration, and we couldn't be happier to welcome the Pops back to the TD Pavilion at the Mann this summer. The Pops have a rich history at the Mann, and we look forward to when they retake the stage this summer.”
The NNP has not only cemented these partnerships to perform at fan-favorite venues. It has also linked up with community-based organizations like Artcinia, to spread its music to under-resourced communities in the city, Art-Reach to provide discounted tickets to people with disabilities, and the Center City District, to name a few.
And these valuable connections go beyond those that are musical. Given its positive economic and cultural impacts, the NNP has worked successfully to form important alliances with City and State representatives, as well as with the Philadelphia Visitor’s Center, Philadelphia Magazine, WHYY and others, further solidifying its presence in the Philadelphia community.
"While reclaiming the Philly Pops name is a triumph for this organization, our partnerships and community engagement initiatives have been instrumental to our growth, and we are excited to continue building on this foundation long into the future," says the NNP’s Executive Director Matthew Koveal. “It’s an endorsement of the highest degree that so many of our region’s most respected organizations wish to partner with us. We are most appreciative.”
About The No Name Pops (NNP): Founded in 2023, Liberty Bell Pops, dba The No Name Pops, is a versatile ensemble composed of the former musicians of the Philly Pops with a mission to deliver authentic, exceptional musical experiences in the Philadelphia region. The NNP will ultimately change its name to the Philly Pops, as the name was gifted to them by the Peter Nero Family Estate. Peter Nero, the Music Director Emeritus of the NNP, is the Grammy Award-winning pianist and conductor who launched and solidified Pops music in Philadelphia for over three decades.
Led by its Music Director Chris Dragon, and featuring accomplished conductors and world-class soloists, the NNP continues to captivate audiences with its vibrant and diverse repertoire. The NNP melds tradition with an innovative approach unbound by musical genre for concert experiences that entertain and empower the entire community.
The Liberty Bell Pops, dba The No Name Pops, has no affiliation either legally or artistically with Encore Series, Inc., the former management company of The Philly Pops.
Shown in photo: Deputy City Rep Kyra Harris, NNP Exec Dir Matthew Koveal, Wawa Welcome America Pres. and CEO Michael DelBene
Photo by Bachrach Photography |
Saturday, August 3, 2024
Thursday, July 4, 2024
43 Years Later: As Fresh As This Morning's Parades!
President Ronald Reagan wrote this 4th of July address himself in his own hand and delivered it on this date in 1981:
For one who was born and grew up in the small towns of the
Midwest, there is a special kind of nostalgia about the Fourth of July.
I remember it as a day almost as long-anticipated as Christmas.
This was helped along by the appearance in store windows of all
kinds of fireworks and colorful posters advertising them with vivid
pictures.
No later than the third of July – sometimes earlier – Dad would bring
home what he felt he could afford to see go up in smoke and flame.
We'd count and recount the number of firecrackers, display pieces
and other things and go to bed determined to be up with the sun so
as to offer the first, thunderous notice of the Fourth of July.
I'm afraid we didn't give too much thought to the meaning of the day.
And, yes, there were tragic accidents to mar it, resulting from
careless handling of the fireworks. I'm sure we're better off today
with fireworks largely handled by professionals. Yet there was a thrill
never to be forgotten in seeing a tin can blown 30 feet in the air by a
giant "cracker" – giant meaning it was about 4 inches long.
But enough of nostalgia. Somewhere in our growing up we began to
be aware of the meaning of days and with that awareness came the
birth of patriotism. July Fourth is the birthday of our nation. I believed
as a boy, and believe even more today, that it is the birthday of the
greatest nation on earth.
There is a legend about the day of our nation's birth in the little hall in
Philadelphia, a day on which debate had raged for hours. The men
gathered there were honorable men hard-pressed by a king who
had flouted the very laws they were willing to obey. Even so, to sign
the Declaration of Independence was such an irretrievable act that
the walls resounded with the words "treason, the gallows, the
headsman's axe," and the issue remained in doubt.
The legend says that at that point a man rose and spoke. He is
described as not a young man, but one who had to summon all his
energy for an impassioned plea. He cited the grievances that had
brought them to this moment and finally, his voice falling, he said,
"They may turn every tree into a gallows, every hole into a grave, and
yet the words of that parchment can never die. To the mechanic in
the workshop, they will speak hope; to the slave in the mines,
freedom. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is
around your neck, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom,
the Bible of the rights of man forever."
He fell back exhausted. The 56 delegates, swept up by his
eloquence, rushed forward and signed that document destined to be
as immortal as a work of man can be. When they turned to thank him
for his timely oratory, he was not to be found, nor could any be found
who knew who he was or how he had come in or gone out through
the locked and guarded doors.
Well, that is the legend. But we do know for certain that 56 men, a
little band so unique we have never seen their like since, had
pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Some
gave their lives in the war that followed, most gave their fortunes,
and all preserved their sacred honor.
What manner of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and
jurists, 11 were merchants and tradesmen, and nine were farmers.
They were soft-spoken men of means and education; they were not
an unwashed rabble. They had achieved security but valued
freedom more. Their stories have not been told nearly enough.
John Hart was driven from the side of his desperately ill wife. For
more than a year he lived in the forest and in caves before he
returned to find his wife dead, his children vanished, his property
destroyed. He died of exhaustion and a broken heart.
Carter Braxton of Virginia lost all his ships, sold his home to pay his
debts, and died in rags. And so it was with Ellery, Clymer, Hall,
Walton, Gwinnett, Rutledge, Morris, Livingston and Middleton.
Nelson personally urged Washington to fire on his home and destroy
it when it became the headquarters for General Cornwallis. Nelson
died bankrupt.
But they sired a nation that grew from sea to shining sea. Five
million farms, quiet villages, cities that never sleep, 3 million square
miles of forest, field, mountain and desert, 227 million people with a
pedigree that includes the bloodlines of all the world.
In recent years, however, I've come to think of that day as more than
just the birthday of a nation.
It also commemorates the only true philosophical revolution in all
history.
Oh, there have been revolutions before and since ours. But those
revolutions simply exchanged one set of rules for another. Ours was
a revolution that changed the very concept of government.
Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for
the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given
rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed
by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily
granted to it by the people.
We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should.
Happy Fourth of July.
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