On July 4, we will celebrate our 245th anniversary, founded by these immortal words — "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."  Signed by John Hancock on July 4, 1776, they still ring true today as they did over 200 years ago.

Like any great nation, we are certainly not without our flaws, and like any large family, we have things buried in our past that we would rather remain hidden.  But we should strive not to cover these events up.  Rather, we should learn from them and continue to build upon the foundation of this great nation laid by our Founding Fathers.  They like us were not perfect, but they had a vision and charged us to see it through under the eye of Providence.  As the pyramid on the reverse Great Seal of the United States dramatically illustrates, perfection will never be achieved, but each succeeding generation of Americans should strive to bring us closer to that goal.

It is no secret that many in America in the current social revolution want to tear down both the physical and historical vestiges of the past in an effort to remake the United States in their own flawed pie-in-the-sky utopian image.

Unfortunately, history has taught us that despite the best intentions, these utopias never work.  Their ruins are littered with the bodies of many sacrificed in an effort to achieve an unattainable end.  One only has to look at the former Soviet Union and Communist China to see the inevitable failed end state of socialism — no personal freedoms and oppression of the masses by the ruling "elite."  Sound all too familiar ?

Our nation's motto, "E Pluribus Unum," Latin for "Out of Many, One," which is emblazed on the Great Seal of the United States, originates from the concept that out of the union of the original thirteen colonies emerged a new single nation.  This same concept is as valid today as it was in 1776 — though composed of many cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds, we are truly a nation of one.  

Since that fateful day in 1775 at Lexington and Concord, when the first blood of the Republic was shed by the Minutemen, over 500,000 Americans have died to preserve the freedom we enjoy today.  In spite of our flaws and our at times sordid past, July 4 is a day to celebrate a nation blessed by Providence that continues to serve as the beacon for the free world, providing hope to millions who look to us to fight tyranny and oppression.

Happy birthday, America!

Image via Pxhere.

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