Happy Fourth of July

" "Well, so here we are today," the man went on. "Every man Jack of us a free and independent citizen of God's country, the only country on earth where a man is free and independent. Today's the Fourth of July, when this whole thing was started, and it ought to have a bigger, better clelbration than this. We can't do much this year. Most of us are out here trying to pull ourselves up by our own boot straps. By next year, likely some of us will be better off, and able to chip in for a real big rousing celebration of Independence Day. Meantime, here we are. It's Fourth of July, and on this day somebody's got to read the Declaration of Independence. It looks like I'm elected, so hold your hats, boys; I'm going to read it." Laura and Carrie knew the Declaration by heart, of course, but it gave them a solemn, glorious feeling to hear the words. They took hold of hands and stood listening in the solemnly listening crowd. The Stars and Stripes were fluttering bright against the thin, clear blue overhead, and their minds were saying the words before their ears heard them. "When in the course of human events it becomes neccessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impell them to the seperation. "We hold these truths to be self'evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that amond these are Life, Liberty and the persuit of Happiness... "We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress assembled appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, "That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, Free and Independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full right to levy War... "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." No one cheered. It was more like a moment to say, "Amen." But no one quite knew what to do. Then Pa began to sing. All at once everyone was singing, My country, 'tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing..." Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little Town on the Prarie from the chapter Fourth of July.