New for 2007: read what Dan Edge has to say about America - good stuff. His thoughts parallel mine in many ways: America Is My Religion. Our holy texts - scriptures, bible, whatever - are the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Our “pope” is the President. Our “vatican” is the Supreme Court. The Congress is…OK, maybe the analogy isn’t perfect, but you know what I mean.

Now for some re-runs from 2005 and 2006:

From Independence Day 2005:

Happy Birthday, America!

Oh, look - here’s a copy of your birth certificate!

Remember: without Independence Day, we may not be able to celebrate any holidays. One of the most powerful and world-changing events in human history. One simple document - arguably the most profound political document in history.

From Independence Day 2006:
The birth certificate of the United States of America: the Declaration of Independence! The most significant document and political statement in history. The document that affirmed that each man is an end to himself, with rights that are inherent by virtue of birth. The document that created a nation, a moral nation, and changed the world. The document that boldly declared that governments serve people.

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.

After 230 years, these words still resonate across the globe, and they send a chill down my spine. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.