Independence Day...

     Today we celebrate the birth of America... The day when some very brave men approved the Declaration of Independence.
     They were willing to sacrifice their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, for freedom from tyranny. 
     They understood that they could have been drawn and quartered for this.
     Imagine them standing there, with the Declaration finished... Somebody had to be the first one to sign... So John Hancock steps up and says, Here, give me that pen... And with several bold strokes, signs his name. We've all seen his signature... It says, I'm in.
     Today, we remember the founders' vision... no matter the cost. 
     With a big, bold stroke... I'm in.

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." ~ William Faulkner

     If you haven't read the Declaration of Independence in a while, here it is.
     Trivia note... John Hancock, President of Congress, was the only one who signed The Declaration that day... The others then signed it on August 2. One other, Matthew Thornton, signed in November, after taking his newly appointed seat, as part of the Continental Congress.