Independence Day is a great day. Most people don't call it "Independence Day" anymore, of course. We, as a people, have lost much history that should not have been lost. In 1776, the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain--not in order to tear down authority, but to establish just authority, exercised by our own people and through our own particular cultural institutions.
Even in 2008, when we've forgotten and forsaken many of the reasons why the Founders fought one of the most destructive and difficult wars in our nation's history, most Americans will include in their celebrations traditions that tie us to our country and to those who preceded us. We'll sing the patriotic songs that arose from our own soil, we'll gather with families and communities, we'll watch fireworks displays together. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, we'll put on a grand display of American culture to shame those who insist there's no such thing. And those of us who are so inclined will take a moment or two to reflect on the great land that produced us and the blessings that God has given us as a people, and not because we specially deserved it.
Remember, too, when you celebrate Independence Day: when Jefferson and his compatriots declared this nation's independence, it was not an independence from obligation. After all, they proceeded to fight a long and devastating war at great personal sacrifice. Tomorrow is a day to strengthen the sense of duty that freedom entails and civilization requires.
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