A Defense of Free Speech

This is a terrific defense of free speech delivered by Ezra Levant, during his interrogation by a Canadian "human rights commission." Levant was hauled before the commission for publishing the infamous Danish cartoons that caused outrage leading to rioting and killing in parts of the Muslim world. Below is Levant's opening statement to the bureaucrat leading the interrogation.

I also had to post the following exchange in which the interrogator, Ms. Shirlene McGovern, asks him about his intent in publishing the cartoons.



Levant's website has the details of the case for those interested in following the trial and for additional clips. 

Mark Steyn, a journalist and author who is also scheduled for interrogation by the "human rights commission," observes:

Ms McGovern's question reminds me of a passage from Melanie Phillips' book Londonistan:

Minority-rights doctrine has produced a moral inversion, in which those doing wrong are excused if they belong to a 'victim' group, while those at the receiving end of their behaviour are blamed simply because they belong to the 'oppressive' majority.

Ms McGovern, a blandly unexceptional bureaucrat, is a classic example of the syndrome. No "vulnerable" Canadian Muslim has been attacked over the cartoons, but the cartoonists had to go into hiding, and a gang of Muslim youths turned up at their children's grade schools, and Muslim rioters around the world threatened death to anyone who published them, and even managed to kill a few folks who had nothing to do with them. Nonetheless, upon receiving a complaint from a Saudi imam trained at an explicitly infidelophobic academy and who's publicly called for the introduction of sharia in Canada, Shirlene McGovern decides that the purely hypothetical backlash to Muslims takes precedence over any actual backlash against anybody else.

UPDATE: Ok, ok. I had to add one more clip. This guy was just on fire.

Jellyfishin'

My favorite band with the line-up I had the privilege of seeing in concert three times. Brilliance!

A Simple Thank You

...to all of those who have served in the military and their families, to those who've risked life and limb to defend our freedoms and way of life, and to the millions who've given their lives for our country. Your sacrifice has made it possible for me to raise a beautiful family and live a good life in peace. You have my deepest and most sincere gratitude.

Invested In Our Defeat

“Since retaking Congress in November 2006, the top foreign policy priority of the Democratic Party has not been to expand the size of our military for the war on terror or to strengthen our democracy promotion efforts in the Middle East or to prevail in Afghanistan. It has been to pull our troops out of Iraq, to abandon the democratically-elected government there, and to hand a defeat to President Bush.

“Iraq has become the singular litmus test for Democratic candidates. No Democratic presidential primary candidate today speaks of America’s moral or strategic responsibility to stand with the Iraqi people against the totalitarian forces of radical Islam, or of the consequences of handing a victory in Iraq to al Qaeda and Iran. And if they did, their campaign would be as unsuccessful as mine was in 2006. Even as evidence has mounted that General Petraeus’ new counterinsurgency strategy is succeeding, Democrats have remained emotionally invested in a narrative of defeat and retreat in Iraq, reluctant to acknowledge the progress we are now achieving, or even that that progress has enabled us to begin drawing down our troops there.”

Sounds like a Republican, but it's actually from a speech former Democrat (and current Independant) Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut gave to the Center for Politics and Foreign Relations/Financial Times breakfast at The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.

Senator Lieberman also indicated, “…there is something profoundly wrong—something that should trouble all of us—when we have elected Democratic officials who seem more worried about how the Bush administration might respond to Iran’s murder of our troops, than about the fact that Iran is murdering our troops.

There is likewise something profoundly wrong when we see candidates who are willing to pander to this politically paranoid, hyper-partisan sentiment in the Democratic base—even if it sends a message of weakness and division to the Iranian regime.”

A Day In The Life

This video pretty much sums up a typical day for me (except for the Bud Lite part).

My Top 25 Favorite Beatles Songs

I don't remember the first time I heard The Beatles. It seems like their music has always surrounded me. As a child I remember being moved by the beauty and poignancy of "Yesterday." As a young teen, I remember playing "Day Tripper" on guitar with Wade on drums until his dad kicked us out of the garage at 10 pm. As an adult, I have come to appreciate not only their musical catalogue, but also the impact they have had on me and the music industry as a whole, including many of the bands and musicians I love to listen to today.

Ok, so I think Myke and I are like the only guys that remotely care about this list...but, still. It's meaningful to us in our own musician-nerd way. I've been procrastinating posting this list because it is so difficult to choose my favorites. I've loved different songs during different seasons for different reasons. I'm fairly certain that I'll feel completely different about the order of these songs within...oh, I don't know...about a week. But for now, here are my Top 25 Favorite Beatle Songs.

Yesterday -- See above.
Eleanor Rigby -- Two profiles in loneliness, a topic with which we are all well acquainted. Impeccable string section.
I Am the Walrus -- LOVE the psychadelic instrumentation and lyrics. Brilliant arrangement.
Hey Jude -- The anthem for all time.
Dear Prudence -- Simply beautiful. GREAT guitar work throughout.
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds -- Wonderfully imaginative, Classic chord progression. Psychedelia at its finest.
Let It Be -- Almost feels like singing a sacred hymn when this song comes on.
Something -- Just gorgeous from start to finish. One of George's best guitar solos.
Here Comes the Sun -- A song of hope.
Hello Goodbye -- I don't know why, but this song always makes me happy. One of my favorite choruses.
Getting Better -- Another song of hope. Love John's contribution ("it can't get no worse"). Cool sitar in the third verse.
Come and Get It - Classic McCartney.
Strawberry Fields -- George Martin's brilliance shines through on this one.
A Day In the Life -- One of my faves in 7th grade. Remember singing it with a good friend who moved far away that summer.
All You Need Is Love -- Fused 7/8 time with a fantastic melody. One of the most memorable choruses of all time.
She Said, She Said -- Groovy.
The Long and Winding Road -- Some of the most beautiful string parts ever written. Gorgeous melody.
She’s Leaving Home -- This one is going to hit homefor me soon enough.
Happiness Is A Warm Gun -- Myke re-introduced me to it. Incredible verse melody.
I Want You (She’s So Heavy) -- What can be said about the ominous guitar riff? It...is...awesome.
Here, There and Everywhere -- Simple and lovely.
Penny Lane -- Catchy tune. Cool horn part. Another great melody.
We Can Work It Out -- "Life is very short..."
Mother Nature’s Son -- Makes me wish I was basking in the sun somewhere in the great outdoors.
Revolution -- John's vocal is sooooo cool in this song.

As I look at this list I am reminded that I could easily change a handful of these songs out with others, like "Fool On the Hill," "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window," "Paperback Writer," "Lady Madonna," "In My Life," "Helter Skelter, "Glass Onion, "Golden Slumbers, "For No One," and "Across the Universe." But, for now, this is it!

What are YOUR favorites?

The Rock 'n Roll Hall of Lame

Ok, Mike and I have been talking about making a Top Ten list of the most overrated rock bands/musicians. Mike is usually the Top Ten guru, but I think I'll take a crack at it. This list is intended only for critically-acclaimed artists that are widely considered to have acheived "legend" status. Here's my list:

1. The Grateful Dead -- This band tops my list because I can find absolutely no redeeming value in their music. It's as simple as that. If only they had quit taking acid long enough to realize how much their band sucked...

2. Santana -- Largely acclaimed for fusing latin rhythms into the rock genre, Santana had a couple of nearly-listenable songs in the early '70s. As a guitar player, I HATE his tone. Although his playing is proficient, I find it totally uninspired. I'm never moved, excited, or impressed in any way when listening to his crappy solos.

3. R.E.M. -- Has there ever been any other band so critically acclaimed that is so average? They have written a few decent songs. Nothing amazing. No brilliant musicianship. Michael Stipe's voice is marginal, and oftentimes irritating. And whenever I see interviews with them, they come off so pretentious -- clearly believing themselves to be deeply profound artists. So self-important...and so totally AVERAGE.

4. Bruce Springsteen -- I respect the amount of effort that he puts into his live performances, but I can't figure out how this guy has sustained a 30-year music career with the crap he puts out. Evidently the blue-collar thing appeals to a large segment of our society. I just find his music boring and predictable.


5. The Doors -- In a historical context, the Doors were significant. Their stage shows were wild and unpredictable, and Jim Morrison exuded a sexualty that was almost unparalled. In these ways, they personified the counter-culture of that era. But, Morrison was a freak and his poetry/lyrics, especially toward the end of his life, were so abstract as to be nonsensical. It was just drug-induced drivel. His untimely death catapulted him into "rock hero" status that was massively overstated and undeserved. The keyboards were one-dimensional, although cool on occasion (e.g. "Light My Fire"). While they had a few good tunes ("Hello, I Love You" rocks), their catalog of music, when viewed in its entirety, absolutely does not merit the adulation they have received in the annals of rockdom. Maybe their "greatness" will dawn on me someday, like it did with Hendrix in my early 20s. So far 30 years of listening hasn't done the trick.

6. The Clash -- During the punk era of the late '70s, critics labeled them "the only band that mattered." There's no question that they were trailblazers for that genre. But, I can't change the station fast enough when one of their songs comes on the radio.

7. Eric Clapton (1980s to present) -- As a guitarist myself, I feel like I'm commiting an act of sacrilege by saying this. But, everything Clapton put out after the 1970s is crap. These days, his guitar tone sucks, most of his recent songs are not memorable (save "Tears in Heaven"), and he no longer plays with the fire of his youth (to be fair, none of us do). Just compare his solo on the live version of "Crossroads" with anything he's put out over the last 20 years. There's no question that he deserves his legendary status for his work in The Yardbirds, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Derek and the Dominos. But beyond that, forget it.

8. Guns 'n Roses -- The first time I heard "Welcome to the Jungle" I knew this band would have an impact on the music scene of the day. Their first album had some songs that were decent--even refreshing, considering the crap put out by hair bands during that unfortunate era. But, Axl Rose is a friggin' ego-maniacal, self-important idiot (a trait he shares with several others on this list) with a grating voice that got worse (if you can imagine that) as his career progressed. Slash is a massively-overrated guitarist/drunkard. My most vivid memory of him was at a benefit concert in Santa Monica many years ago when he made a guest appearance with Great White (who sucks worse than ‘GnR’) and was so drunk he couldn't play. He got booed off the stage.

9. Pearl Jam -- Hailed by many as a premier grunge band, they were somehow able to "fool some of the people all of the time" with below-average songs, non-sensical lyrics, and a disheveled singer who sounded like he was trying to keep from swallowing a mouthful of cough syrup. Also, pick a melody and stick with it, for crying out loud. (Sorry, Myke)

10. Nirvana -- I struggled with this one a little bit. They wrote some good songs, ushered in the Grunge movement, and obviously had a huge influence on many bands that followed (way too much, in my opinion), which is why I think some of their accolades are deserved. But, like Jim Morrison, the mystique and prestige of Nirvana was elevated to mythic proportions after Kurt Cobain's death. There's no way to know for sure, but I believe it is highly unlikely that Nirvana would have garnered as much adulation had Cobain not taken his life. I'm not saying they weren't a cool band; just that they are highly overrated.

Dishonorable mention:

Blue-collar rock: John "Cougar" Mellencamp (sucked from Day 1)
Punk: Sonic Youth (trashy, sloppy, sucky)
Jam Band: Dave Matthews Band (quirky and unconventional can be cool; but, in the case, it just sucks).
EMO: The Smiths (one word: Morrissey)
Brit Rock: Oasis (a couple of great songs. But, how many different ways can you write the same song?)

That was pretty fun. I'll update If I think of more.

Grief For Another Life Lost

Christopher Hitchens writes about a young soldier from Irvine, California--just a few miles down the 55 Freeway from me--who died in combat in Iraq earlier this year. In it, Hitchens recounts his grief about the young soldier's death after learning that one of Hitchens' articles helped persuade him to join the service.

I don't exaggerate by much when I say that I froze [after reading the news report about the soldier's death]. I certainly felt a very deep pang of cold dismay. I had just returned from a visit to Iraq with my own son (who is 23, as was young Mr. Daily) and had found myself in a deeply pessimistic frame of mind about the war. Was it possible that I had helped persuade someone I had never met to place himself in the path of an I.E.D.?

It's an interesting and, at times, moving article.

Teach Your Children Well...

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great.

So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read: The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the power To tell just when the hands will stop At late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.

----------

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.

(h/t The Corner)

If Moveon Had Existed 65 Years Ago

via Red State

Responding to Truthers on 9/11

The 9/11 truthers have no decency. On the anniversary of 9/11, these idiots saw the opportunity to shove their grotesque conspiracy fantasies down the throats of people who came to visit Ground Zero and pay their respects. Total disregard for the solemnity of the ocassion.

Six Years On

I still get incredibly sad watching the remembrances and re-broadcasts of the events of that fateful day, 6 years ago. I also get sad when I think about how united our nation was in the aftermath of the attacks, and how divided we are now.

I understand that there will always be disagreements about the best way to conduct policy--both foreign and domestic--and I think that is one of the things that makes our democracy healthy. However, today a significant number of Americans evidently hate their country and/or the current administration so much that they actually believe, in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary, that their own government either committed the atrocities of that day or were complicit in their execution. Like most conspiracists, these people string together any loose thread of apparently contradictory information they can find and force it into bizarre scenarios that conform to their pre-conceived fantasies.

Normally, I just ignore the rantings of this pathetic group of fabulists. But, their cancerous ideas have begun to spread through the body of the Democrat party, to the point where 42% of registered democrats subscribe to their claims. I guess I should be glad that it's not a majority...yet.

From where does this madness derive? Why is their initial reaction to always assume the worst? Do they really believe it deep down? Is it pure political calculation? Are they genuinely delusional? It's hard to say. I'm not a psychologist or sociologist. People believe what they believe for a variety of reasons. Of course, these people are entitled to their opinions. And I'm entitled to say that I think their opinions are reprehensible. The fact that their ideas are even seriously entertained by rational adults is just...sad.

Well, I guess I had to get that out of my system. Now I can devote my thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Although I'm an optimist by nature, I fear that nothing short of another terrorist attack will unite us--as we were 6 years ago.

Straight From the Jihadis' Orafices

It is clear to anyone who has been paying close attention over the past 6 (or more) years that al Qaeda is warring against the West because its belief system is incompatible with any society that is not subjugated to its interpretation of Islam. For those who still doubt, The Al Qaeda Reader (ed. Raymond Ibrahim) provides proof directly from the leaders of al Qaeda themselves.

According to Bruce Thornton, who reviewed the book,

"[Ibrahim] has organized these writings into two sections: theology, writings intended for fellow Muslims that ground al Qaeda’s war against the West in the traditional Islamic doctrine of jihad; and propaganda, writings meant for Westerners that cast bin Laden’s war as a just response to the depredations of Western powers."

Thornton concludes,

The Al Qaeda Reader, simply by letting our enemies speak in their own voices, explodes the popular delusion that Western crimes and policies are responsible for the “distortion” of Islam that al Qaeda represents. As Ibrahim writes, “This volume of translations, taken as whole, prove once and for all that, despite the propaganda of Al Qaeda and its sympathizers, Radical Islam’s war with the West is not finite and limited to political grievances — real or imagined — but is existential, transcending time and space and deeply rooted in faith.” This means that the fight will be long and hard, that leaving Iraq or creating a Palestinian state will not buy peace, and that the side that accurately understands its enemy and has confidence in its own beliefs will
ultimately triumph.

Bedtime Ballad

This rings true for just about any parent...

So That's How They Do It

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) on one of the perks he enjoyed while serving as a military officer.



No wonder the military continues to meet or exceed its enlistment and retention goals.

Last Rites

The Belmont Club refers to a blog called The Ambulance Driver, which recalls the moments, over seven years, when the blogger had to tell anxious loved ones the person he was crouched over was dead; beyond his help. There were men gone from old age, young blond accident victims, the middle-aged expired from a heart attack, daredevil young men on their shattered motorcycles. And the anxious survivors "... and then I say The Words. 'I'm afraid she's dead.' "

Wretchard observes:

As children we know one sort of God, the kind who loves us like our parents. He is the God who we spoke to just as if He was in the next room in the moments before we went to sleep. And as we grow up, the God of our childhood slips away forgotten, but He is replaced, if we are in Grace, by one we can speak to as adults. He never truly goes away, but as we are adults, leaves us mostly on our own. The God of adulthood comes seldom and usually in moments of great happiness and loss. There finally is the Lord who speaks to us when we are old, when we awake bewildered to watery brightness of each new day, when we know we are close to leaving the flowers and yet are not wholly despairing of meeting them again.

The Ambulance Driver captures the most secret moments of society. The ones most hidden from view.

The comments section has some interesting commentary, as well.

LTA Show @ Plush

Lower Than Angels is playing a show!

Plush Cafe in downtown Fullerton
Tuesday, July 17th @ 8 p.m.
Should be a fun gig.
Hope to see you there!

My Hero For Today...

...is Alex McIlveen, a scottish cab driver who kicked the burning terrorist at the Glasgow Airport so hard in the balls that he tore a tendon.

The man has the spirit of William Wallace (if not the same methods)!

10 Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature

I found this expose interesting (and, in some cases, funny) reading. The list is presented below. Follow the link to find the reasoning behind these "truths."

1. Men like blond bombshells (and women want to look like them)
2. Humans are naturally polygamous
3. Most women benefit from polygyny, while most men benefit from monogamy
4. Most suicide bombers are Muslim
5. Having sons reduces the likelihood of divorce
6. Beautiful people have more daughters (one of my favorites!)
7. What Bill Gates and Paul McCartney have in common with criminals
8. The midlife crisis is a myth—sort of
9. It's natural for politicians to risk everything for an affair (but only if they're male)
10. Men sexually harass women because they are not sexist

The list is a product of psychological thought known as evolutionary psychology, which leans heavily on evolutionary theory. I don't know how much of it I believe (re: the psychology, that is), but it is interesting, nonetheless.

Happy Birthday, America

The family and I celebrated Independence Day at a block party with dozens of neighbors, many of whom we met for the first time. It was a great party with tons of food and friendship. The kids got to play in a bounce house, or keep cool while playing in a kiddie pool and a slip-n-slide. It was a very fun time. Cherie will probably post a blog with pictures at her blog, Chering Life.

It was nice to spend time with people celebrating something we all have in common--love for our country.

I like this post from Captain Ed:

Today we celebrate the birth of our nation, as conceived by a group of men in a Pennsylvania hall who many considered at the time as traitors. They dared to imagine a nation whose leaders would not be derived from notions of royalty nor from the power of arms, but chosen by free people as leaders accountable to the populace. They took the ethereal notions that sprang from the Enlightenment and dared to make them a reality -- hoping that this radical experiment would take root in the North American continent, but having no clue that it would become a shining beacon for the entire world over the next two centuries.

It wasn't a model of perfection, and indeed, our birth has resembled our journey ever since. Dissent over the nature of a representative democracy appeared from the very start. The first structure of the government would have to be scrapped and re-imagined from scratch just a few years later. It would take decades more before the nation finally dealt with the inherent contradiction in the Declaration of Independence and its assertion that "all men are created equal," and the detestable institution of slavery -- and another century after that before the government finally took action to ensure that those words prevailed. Arguments about the division of power between the states and the federal government have continued from the first moments until this moment.

We have been far from perfect, but we have recognized our failures and prevailed over them in the fullness of time. Winston Churchill once said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others -- and we have been the model for that, for better and worse. America has been a beacon of hope for the world for centuries, not just because of the words in our Declaration and Constitution, but because we as a people try our best to live up to them.

Conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, independents and centrists, and those who cringe when they hear any of those labels -- they want America to live up to its best ideals, our best selves, each in their own way. Happy Independence Day to all of us, and may we continue in our efforts as our ancestors have to continue to keep America as the shining city on the hill.

In 1981, three months after surviving an assassin's bullet, Ronald Reagan talked about our nation's birth in his Independence Day speech:

Thomas Jefferson wrote that on that day of America's birth, in the little hall in Philadelphia, debate raged for hours, but the issue remained in doubt. These were honorable men; still, to sign a Declaration of Independence seemed such an irretrievable act that the walls resounded with cries of "treason'' and "the headsman's axe.''

Then, it is said, one unknown man rose to speak. He was neither young, nor strong in voice; yet, he spoke with such conviction that he mesmerized the hall. He cited the grievances that had brought them to this moment. Then, his voice failing, he said: "They may turn every tree into a gallows, every hole into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die. To the mechanic in the workshop, they will speak hope, to the slave in the mines, freedom. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is around your neck, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the bible of the rights of man forever.'' And sign they did.

What makes our revolution unique and so exciting, then, is that it changed the very concept of government. Here was a new nation telling the world that it was conceived in liberty; that all men are created equal with God-given rights, and that power ultimately resides in "We the people.''

We sometimes forget this great truth, and we never should, because putting people first has always been America's secret weapon. It's the way we've kept the spirit of our revolution alive -- a spirit that drives us to dream and dare, and take great risks for a greater good. It's the spirit of Fulton and Ford, the Wright brothers and Lindbergh, and of all our astronauts. It's the spirit of Joe Louis, Babe Ruth, and a million others who may have been born poor, but who would not be denied their day in the Sun.

The men without the words would have been little more than mutineers. The words without the men would have been long forgotten, if ever remembered at all. On the Fourth of July, we honor them all, and all those who came after to preserve and promote the Union.

Another view on the meaning of Independence Day.

More on the reasons why we celebrate Independence Day from a speech by President Calvin Coolidge on July 4, 1926:

We meet to celebrate the birthday of America. The coming of a new life always excites our interest. Although we know in the case of the individual that it has been an infinite repetition reaching back beyond our vision, that only makes it the more wonderful. But how our interest and wonder increase when we behold the miracle of the birth of a new nation. It is to pay our tribute of reverence and respect to those who participated in such a mighty event that we annually observe the fourth day of July. Whatever may have been the impression created by the news which went out from this city on that summer day in 1776, there can be no doubt as to the estimate which is now placed upon it. At the end of 150 years the four corners of the earth unite in coming to Philadelphia as to a holy shrine in grateful acknowledgement of a service so great, which a few inspired men here rendered to humanity, that it is still the preeminent support of free government throughout the world.

Although a century and a half measured in comparison with the length of human experience is but a short time, yet measured in the life of governments and nations it ranks as a very respectable period. Certainly enough time has elapsed to demonstrate with a great deal of thoroughness the value of our institutions and their dependability as rules for the regulation of human conduct and the advancement of civilization. They have been in existence long enough to become very well seasoned. They have met, and met successfully, the test of experience.

It is not so much then for the purpose of undertaking to proclaim new theories and principles that this annual celebration is maintained, but rather to reaffirm and reestablish those old theories and principles which time and the unerring logic of events have demonstrated to be sound. Amid all the clash of conflicting interests, amid all the welter of partisan politics, every American can turn for solace and consolation to the Declaration of independence and the Constitution of the United States with the assurance and confidence that those two great charters of freedom and justice remain firm and unshaken.