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AS I SEE IT !
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C e le b ra tin g th e F o u rth o f J u ly is one o f th e b e s t p a rts o f su m m er. Y ou g e t to
b a rb e qu e w ith yo u r fa m ily , w a tch fire w o rk s , go to a p a ra d e and ta k e p a rt in a ll th e fu n su m
m e r a c tiv itie s .
B u t a n o th e r re a son th a t J u ly 4 th is so sp e cia l is th a t it is o u r In d ep e nd e nce d a y, a
h o lid ay c e le b ra tin g th e a n n ive rsa ry o f th e sig n in g o f th e D e cla ra tio n o f In d ep e n de n ce. It
w as w ritte n to ju s tify th e co lo n ies b re a kin g aw ay fro m th e m o th er c o u n try and b e co m in g an
in d e p e nd e n t n a tio n. R e vise d b y B e n ja m in F ra n klin and Jo h n A d a m s, th e D e cla ra tio n o f In d e
p e n de n ce w as sig n e d b y o u r fo u n d in g fa th e rs and a cce pte d b y C o n g re ss on J u ly 4 ,1 7 7 6 .
B u t th e s p irit o f In d ep e n de n ce D ay is n o t o n ly a b o u t th e U n ite d S ta te s o ffic ia lly b e
co m in g a co u n try. It's a b ou t c e le b ra tin g th e va lue s th a t th e c o u n try w as fo u nd e d upon. T h e
D e cla ra tio n o f In d e pe n d en ce w as w ritte n w ith th e th e o ry th a t e ve ry p e rso n has in h ere n t
rig h ts , ca lle d "s e lf-e v id e n t tru th s " in th e o ffic ia l d o cu m en t. It re a d s: "W e h o ld th e s e tru th s
to b e s e lf-e v id e n t: T h a t a ll m en a re c re a ted equal; th a t th e y a re e n d o w e d b y th e ir C re a to r
w ith c e rta in u n a lie n a b le rig h ts ; th a t am ong th e s e a re life , lib e rty , and th e p u rs uit o f h a p p i
n e ss." B u t it is a lso a h o lid a y to re m e m b e r and h o n o r th o se firs t A m erican s w ho m a d e s a c ri-
fic e s to c re a te th e R e p u blic and th e n d e fe n d it o ve r th e ye a rs.
In d o in g m y fa m ily h is to ry , I h a ve d isco ve re d th a t w e have had so m eo n e in e ve ry w a r
sin ce th e b e g in n in g o f tim e (1 3 4 6 A D ), in clud in g th e R e vo lu tio n ary W a r and up to D e s e rt
S to rm . I am p rou d o f e a ch and e ve ry one o f th e m . S o re m em b e r to d a y to th a n k a v e te ra n
fo r e n su rin g o u r fre e d o m s!
P .S . O u r e m a il a d d re ss has ch a ng e d, it is now : th e b ulle tin @ B F C S P .o rg
P .P.S . M u ch lo ve is se n t to C a rrie and C a itlyn n D ris k e ll, w e w ill m iss yo u .
E d ito r
S usan S t G e o rg e
JHappy
(Birthdaj