Once again the celebration of our American Independence has returned.

We will cook out today at Aaron’s house.  He is such a wonderful grill master!

The joy of getting together with family and friends on this commemorative day is a great privilege and honor.  To live in a country that you can say what is on your heart and speak your mind and believe in the freedom of the press…is a special gift.

Countless men and women have fought and died for our gift of freedom.  The freedom to immigrate to a Country that is commonly referred to as a ‘Melting Pot.’  We virtually all came from somewhere else.  The only indigenous Americans are the Native Americans.  The rest of us arrived for a variety of reasons.

I watched, Ken Burns, documentary regarding the Stature of Liberty, the other night. This Great Lady…and the hope that she symbolizes has been and is a beacon that shines in the darkness of fear and repression and ignorance and hate.

When you enjoy a wonderful dinner in China Town…in New York City…you are in America.

When you listen to, one of my favorite musical genres, jazz…that is as America.

When you worship in a Mosque you are praying alongside your fellow Americans.

When you stand alongside your Jewish friends and neighbors…wearing their kippahs and reading the Torah…you are standing with your fellow Americans.

When you stand in solidarity with the forgotten Americans…the poor…the hungry…the homeless….the sick…you are standing with the America that we celebrate today.

No one can take our American Experiment from us…we can only do that to ourselves!