I remember one of my favorite Star Trek episodes from the original series involved the words from the preamble. On a planet many light years away, Kirk and his crew are caught in a vicious civil war. As the "rebels" slowly take over the capital and capture Kirk and crew, it becomes clear that they are fighting for much the same thing as the American colonists did so long ago. Somehow a copy of the Declaration of Independence has made it across time and space (as well as a tattered American flag), and as the rebel leader begins to read the words written by Jefferson, Kirk recites them because he knows them by heart. While it is of course fictional, I think this episode makes clear the far-reaching and eternal power of Jefferson’s words and their meaning for all people who long for dignity, equity, and freedom.

So, on this July 4th, I recognize some self-evident truths. Among them are that no matter how I (or anyone for that matter) feels about the war in Iraq, there are over a hundred thousand American men and women there who deserve and need our support. Putting politics aside is never easy, but we must remember that those service people in Iraq are kindred spirits to those who were at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, the Ardenne, Normandy, Iwo Jima, and so many other places.

I revel in having an opportunity to live in a country where dissenting opinions are part of the fabric of the flag; I enjoy the freedoms put forth in the Declaration and proudly worship the god of my choice; I happily raise my child in a country where demonstrating against the war is as patriotic a practice as supporting it. Most of all, I celebrate the fact that I am very fortunate to live in the United States of America, and today I wish my country and all its citizens a happy 230th birthday, and we should celebrate with passion and vigor because this is the day that changed the way the people of the world saw themselves, which is the best self-evident truth of all.