Happy Fourth of July!

Can you smell that?

That, my friends, is the smell of sulfur. The smell that enters our nostrils upon watching a fireworks display might be the same smell as rotting eggs, but we love it because it goes with watching rockets explode in the sky.

Boom! Crackle Crackle! EXPLOSION!

I am rather fond of this holiday. I'm kind of disappointed because we often seem to forget what the holiday commemorates. Independence Day celebrates our ... independence from people that would tax our tea at ridiculous rates, and make us all talk in sophisticated accents.

Curse you, Britain.

I still feel like the fourth holds the same patriotic fervor that it had a long time ago, I just sometimes wonder if we understand what we are being patriotic about. Sure, we wave our red-white-and-blues around like crazy and we shout "AMERICA!" into the smoke-ridden atmosphere (we really do like fireworks) but what are we celebrating, really?

George Washington: the talented military leader, our first president, and kind of vain wig-wearing guy. Patriots running across the battlefield for the sake of their freedom. Apple pie. People throwing barrels off of ships in the dead of night. Thomas Paine making a really big deal out of the whole "independence thing". Apple Pie. A room full of delegates arguing on how this new country should be formed. The signing of the Declaration of Independence. APPLE PIE. Our people stretching forth to create a new civilization based on freedom for all.

These are all what scream "American" to me. Not going out to watch fireworks, not drinking obscene amounts of beer and eating cute little candies. People lay down their lives for us so that we could do all of these things. I believe we should all do a little thank you for the people who have worked so hard to get this far. Before you go out and enjoy your fireworks (I won't be doing so because the grass has dried to kindle and any spark of fire would cause the entire world to spontaneously combust.) take a moment and think about what a great country you live in. This applies even if you aren't American, of course. Take a moment to realize how blessed you were that someone brave and valiant risked his life in order to sustain the ideals that we hold today.

They deserve to be noticed.

Now go, leave this place! Drink your fancy, non-high-taxed ice tea! Bask in the freedom that someone has worked to give you! Be a true patriot! Talk to your friends about all of the things we have accomplished as a country. May we always be one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Don't set anything on fire,

Esther