"We must always be vigilant for threats to the American ideal"

Weasel gets the honor of today's guest rant in the Ace of Spades blog.

This is our Independence Day. Happy Birthday America. Two hundred forty-three years ago, after a summer of debate in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress adopted and published our Declaration of Independence. Fifty-six American patriots signed the document giving Great Britain and King George III the finger and pledging their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to each other in support of the Declaration. They did this as the British fleet and army were arriving in New York to bring order to the colonies then in open rebellion. In the face of overwhelming odds, these patriots were risking everything they had, including their very lives, to present the incredible gift of freedom to each and every one of us today. We owe these men a debt on which we can only make a payment by ensuring their work is never forgotten and the ideals they advanced live forever.

Since that time, as a nation we have celebrated the Fourth of July in many ways. We celebrate all those who contributed to our freedom and the country in which we enjoy it. We do this by honoring these men, women and our great nation with parades, concerts and fireworks. In towns and cities large and small our celebration serves as our recognition and thanks for the incredible sacrifices made by so many who came before us, and an acknowledgement of our responsibility to future generations. We celebrate and hold in places of high honor the symbol of our nation, our flag, and pledge our allegiance to it. We freely offer the gift of America to the world.

We live in troubled and uncertain times, but so did the fifty-six patriots who risked everything they had for us. As we celebrate our Independence Day, we must guard the precious gift of freedom by always pledging ourselves to it, and we must never be dissuaded in our commitment by the actions of others, lest we allow them to devalue our beliefs. Rather, we must always be vigilant for threats to the American ideal and keep it alive in our hearts and minds as we hand it on to posterity.

God Bless America