Happy Fourth of July!

Call me cheesy, or old fashioned, or sentimental, I don't care...I love this holiday! And not just because you get to take a day off from work, or drink beer at the beach, or grill up red meat to your heart's content...I think it's freakin' sweet to remember how great this country is and how fervently we fought for our Independence.

In relative terms, the United States of America is a teenager when compared with our international counterparts. And in that short time we have done great things. Of course, you intellectual cynics out there will undeniably say, "and we've done terrible things", and certainly I can agree with you. Our history, though triumphant, is spotted with blemishes and embarrassments. But, this day, this weekend, is not about harping on our failures, but rather to celebrate our many accomplishments as a nation.

These are troubled times. Unemployment has reached 9.5%, its highest level in a quarter of a century; the federal government has infiltrated our financial markets in ways we never thought possible; our parents and grandparents have witnessed the utter destruction of their wealth and the fruits of their labor; we are staring into the face of a disarming national debt, the likes of which this country has never known; and we are only beginning to recognize our generation's responsibility for paying it off.

It is in the midst of these alarming truths that we must take pause to acknowledge our strength as a nation. Though it may seem a difficult concept to grasp, we have made great strides since the crises of old, be they social, financial or international in nature. We have developed a resolve unmatched by enemies and allies alike and we are capable of leading this world out of its current financial turmoil. The bright, sophisticated, and innovative minds this country nurtures are its key to future stability and continued success.

So this year, no matter what your current state of employment, no matter how you are choosing to celebrate this day so often reserved for barbecues and beaches, try to remember its true meaning. Many wise individuals stood firm in their ideals and many great people fought and died so that we may know freedom. They gave of themselves so that we may say the United States of America is the greatest, most successful nation in the world. We are a strong country, we are a smart country, and we are a country that, while humbly admitting our great fault in creating this disconcerting financial debacle, will also emerge as the leader responsible for pulling the world out of it.

To my fellow Americans, Happy Fourth of July! Enjoy the weekend and take time to marvel in the splendor of this great nation...