Tomorrow is Independence Day, and celebrations of it will take place all across our nation.  But, like other celebrations of earlier historical events, many of us forget, or even know, the reason for the celebration.

Such is the case with the Fourth of July.  This is the day when several of our founding statesmen actually put their lives on the line by declaring publicly their status as free men of a free people about to form a new nation.

The actual declaration had been in the works for sometime, and finally entrusted to one of the group, the highly respected Thomas Jefferson to write. 
 
He spent several days in solitude composing the historical document.  Even then, the group spent sometime criticizing his work.
 
His final version set some lofty ideals for these pioneering visionaries, and in turn for their descendants, to live up to.
 
So for us present day Americans, it is time for us to re-examine the declaration and judge our actions.  Are we living up to the ideals for which these statesmen risked their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor?
 
Each one of us could, and should, take the time to do so.

I’m Roger Larson, and that’s the way I see it.