Independence Day

Today is the birthday of our great nation. Over 200 years ago, brave men and women took a stand against tyranny and the result was a new nation. This nation guaranteed rights that were virtually unheard of anywhere else in the world. Today, that same nation is one of the strongest in the world and is an example to many other countries who desire the freedoms that we have.

Let us take a few moments to reflect on the privileges that we enjoy and also remember the responsibilities that come with those privileges. If you have the opportunity, thank a veteran or current member of the military for their sacrifices. Do something to show your patriotism--hang a flag from your house; wear red, white and blue; sing the "Star Spangled Banner" or "America the Beautiful." Say the "Pledge of Allegiance." Do something to help someone less fortunate.

Our country is not perfect, but each of us has the ability to do something to make it better. If we all do something, the United States of America will continue to be "the land of the free and the home of the brave."

"Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"