"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."

This means that each individual has inherent rights by virtue of his existence, that these rights are given by God, that they are natural rights that cannot be granted or withheld by government.

This famous passage is a rephrasing of what's written in the Bible, that of b'tzelem Elohim – that we are created in God's image, that each of us is unique and special and with infinite value by virtue of simply being born.

It means that the individual is premier.  It is the conceptual foundation of the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and liberty itself.  The government shall not infringe on the rights of the individual.  The rights of the individual must be protected first and foremost.  So much flows from that.

It is an affirmation of treating each person as an individual and not as a member of a group.  You can see its implications for private property, which is the foundation of free markets.

This is the core founding concept of the United States of America.  It has made America the greatest nation in the history of the human race and the greatest beacon of freedom ever created by man.

The founding fathers knew what they were doing.  They made their values and intentions clear.  These are our values.  This is what we are defending from enemies foreign and domestic.

God Bless America, and a terrific Independence Day to everyone.