JULY 4th

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When I was a child, we would pile in the car, in our p.j.'s, and drive down to the water and watch the fireworks light up the sky. Rows of cars would line up along Tampa Bay, for the wildly colorful light show that always brought family and friends together for some old fashioned, innocent fun. It is one of those traditions that stays locked in my memory, filed away for future reference...for nights like this one, when the sounds of firecrackers and the sight of multi-colored rockets erupt outside, jogging my memory and reminding me of a much simpler time.

For me, Independence day is more than fireworks and barbecues and red, white and blue. It is the backbone of everything that makes our lives worth fighting for...As John Adams wrote..."It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God almighty."

The Declaration of Independence...our independence as a nation-one nation under God...is about embracing the foundation of our freedom which is firmly rooted in faith and justice for all. It is the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of our passions. It is the God given freedom to live this life to the fullest, because that is what God intended. But it is also about remembering the rights of others...especially those who have been stripped of their independence...and others who are unable to go it alone.

Our forefathers put down on paper, a written code of conduct for an independent nation and independent thinkers. And in doing so, left us the legacy for a lifetime of hope and honorable intentions...For a nation where all men and women are created equal,in a melting pot of diversity.

That diversity-quite unexpectedly-is our strength...and the source of our strong will to survive the odds and stay the course. Collectively, we have proven more times than I can name...that when the going gets rough...our nation pulls together...and gets going.

I for one, am proud to call myself an American...and I am eternally grateful for the gift of our blessings--and for the title of "one nation under God!"

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