On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted on and passed a resolution of independence from Great Britain.  For two more days they debated the wording of their statement explaining their decision, and approved that statement on July 4th.  That statement was, of course The Declaration of Independence.   There is some debate about whether the Declaration was actually signed on July 4th, but it is known that it was voted on an accepted by the Congress on that date.

Signing the Declaration was an act of treason – an enormous risk for the signers to take to stand up for their principles  Though they were political leaders, they were not politicians.  Can you imagine any politcian today taking any similar stand for any reason at all?  Me neither.  I believe the easy lives we lead have made us soft in more ways than one.  Too bad.

But let’s celelebrate the fact that there were such men as these when they were needed!  Happy Birthday, America!  To kick off the celebration, here is Red Skelton pledging allegiance:

Finally, an excellent post on the meaning of Independence day at Powerline.  Well worth you time.