July 4th, 1776 - The Noble Experiment Begins,...

Gentle readers,....

We live in a time when our president is fairly unpopular and is leading our nation into an unpopular war.

And yet, our first thoughts as a nation turn towards cleaning the slate in the 2008 general election and not towards a military overthrowing of this nation's leader.

We are a country polarized by race, class, ethnicity, education and political leanings.

And yet, we learn to co-exist with these polar opposites in a spirit of compromise; while in other countries these polarizations would be the ingredients for armed militias, civil war, chaos, and moral bankruptcy.

We are a country with 24/7 news coverage, bringing both voices of agreement and dissent to the people.

And yet, in other countries, dissent is frequently stifled, and dissenters risk imprisonment and loss of life to speak their minds.

On that hot summer day, 50-odd men gathered together and set in motion a chain of events that became one of the greatest experiments in politics ever undertaken. And for 231 years, it has been an unbroken legacy and example for the rest of the world to admire.

And it all started today, July 4th, in 1776!

God Bless America!