This being the weekend we celebrate the 239th birthday of our Nation, I wanted to convey some of my thoughts on our Country.

I love the 4th of July. Growing up it was one of my favorite holidays—maybe my favorite. The summer, family, friends, cook outs, enjoying life, fireworks, possibly traveling to the beach or mountains, vacation—all wonderful memories. Plus I love history. In fact, one of my favorite 4th of July activities is to see what documentaries and movies are shown on the History Channel, Turner Classic Movies and the other channels that celebrate the holiday with historical perspective viewing.

I always record the movie 1776 and watch it at my leisure. It is an excellent depiction of what happened in Philadelphia 239 years ago. Besides being a fun musical, it is educational and provides insight that illustrates how close we came to NOT declaring our Independence. I really think every American should watch this movie. I believe if everyone did, maybe some of the ills that face our country now might be better understood and not be as much of an issue.

Unfortunately, too many people do not understand what being an American means, what it cost, and what we are really celebrating on Independence Day. I watched a video last night on Facebook that was posted from YouTube. On July 1, 2015 Mark Dice interviewed many people asking them why we celebrate Independence Day. I was appalled at some of the answers. If you get a chance, you should watch it. Most of those interviewed did not know who we declared Independence from. One woman said we celebrate Independence Day for our victory over the South. Others conveyed that it was from China. Oh, how our educational system has failed us.

This weekend is a time to CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE. Celebrate our freedoms. Celebrate our ever evolving way of life. At the same time, it is critical that we understand what all of these truly mean, understand what really happened in Philadelphia in 1776, understand what really happened on the battlefields of the Revolutionary War, understand what really happened in 1787 when the Constitution of the United States was written, and understand the prices we have paid over the 239 years to be the great country we are and enjoy our freedoms!

Have a great INDEPENDENCE DAY!