07/04/2026
Independence Day
250 years ago, the United States became the first country in the Americas to throw off the shackles of colonialism. In the founders' declaration were some revolutionary claims--claims they said were "self-evident," needing no further proof or explanation. They stated that we are all created equal, and that we have God-given rights that cannot be taken from us--life, liberty, and to pursue our own paths to happiness.
We know that the reality of life 250 years ago did not match these ideals, and still falls short today. But I want to focus on just what it meant to take this leap forward in human history. What the founders declared set the path that so many other countries would follow.
For 250 years, we, the people, have held together a nation around a common set of values--ideals that guide us. That's pretty amazing.