INDEPENDENCE DAY

One of my favorite holidays, but one that I approach with open eyes.  Our history has been a checkered one, marred at times by greed, bigotry, ignorance, and stupidity.  It's also a glorious history lived by many decent people who have tried to make the promise of our country a reality.  As we relax and celebrate with family and friends today, let us all be grateful for the beauty and bounty that surround us and remember that freedom -- freedom from oppression, freedom from poverty, freedom from fear, freedom from discrimination, freedom to make the world a far better place for our children -- is a hard-fought cause.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXZmfNDYsuk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Och9_UPTzlw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHqOl7v4Axg

http://archive.org/details/dn2003-0704_vid

Have a blessed, safe, and joyous day, one and all!