Dick Muri for Congress - Washington's 9th District

At the conclusion the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 someone asked Benjamin Franklin what type of government they were to have. He replied, "A Republic, if you can keep it." Independence Day has always meant more than freedom from Britain, more than rebellion. Indeed, many rebels have overthrown a government only to implement a tyranny of their own. But our United States of America was born a fraternal twin: it brought with it the notion that power was held in the individual person; that God blessed mankind with the capacity for self-governance. When the Declaration of Independence said "We hold these truths to be self-evident," it ushered in a new concept in government that is inextricably tied to our future as a nation.

If we stand tall and free, we will continue to be a shining city on a hill. If we falter in our commitment to self-government, others will take up the fallen flag. Liberty, heard clearly, always resonates in the human heart. What the founders have begun will not be easily quenched, yet, if we who began this concept abandon it, the world will have lost something.

As you go about your day, with barbeques, and water fights, and popsicles and fireworks, please reflect on our freedoms, and also on our never-ending responsibility to keep the lamp of liberty shining for the next generation, and the world. God Bless America, and all of you. Happy Independence Day!