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. ~ The Declaration of
Independence
“The greatness of
America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in
her ability to repair her faults.” ~ Alexis de Tocqueville
July 4th, 2014. After taking my usual sunrise run I was surprised,
and disappointed, to see that my coffee house haunt was open at 6, the usual
time for a weekday. Not so disappointed
that I boycotted coffee for the day but enough so that it gave pause to note
that another holiday was passing with business as usual. Workers were arriving at Home Depot to start
the day and the Big Lots folks were putting out their Independence Day
displays; sadly they aren't independent from work on what should be one of the
most significant holidays in America’s calendar year.
It was 238 years ago that the Declaration of Independence
from the British crown was adopted. It
was, for all intents and purposes already a done deal. Two days prior the 2nd Continental
Congress had approved Richard Henry Lee’s resolution declaring
independence. And this certainly didn't
mark the day that the colonists took up arms. The revolution had been going on since April
of the preceding year and the colonists had been
raising bloody hell (As King George might have said) for some time before
that. The Declaration of Independence
wouldn't even be signed until the following month. But I’m splitting hairs, aren't I?
