Happy 4th of July

We wanted to wish you all a Happy 4th of July.


Some Thoughts about this special day: 
The world has dramatically changed over the past 235 years, but the ideals this nation were founded on continue to hold true and have been the guiding light that have helped this republic endure.  The second paragraph of the Declaration starts off with "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."  What an incredibly powerful statement to make in 1776, to acknowledge that man's rights are endowed to us not by a king or a government but by our creator.  The 56 men who signed the Declaration were by no means perfect nor did they represent a demographic mix of society, but they bravely put their name to an ideal that made them traitors to the British throne.  
On July 4th only John Hancock signed the Declaration. It wasn't until August 2nd when the delegates started signing the document with the last signature added in late November.  It is almost foreign to our modern society that it would take five months for such an important document to be signed.  But I think it speaks volumes for the rights laid out in the Declaration; they are universal regardless of the time period or technology available.  One could argue the creation of the modern society is a reflection of man's desire to express his individual freedom.  
And speaking of individual freedom I think its time we hit the beach today. Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July and always remember why we celebrate this day.