Why we celebrate the Fourth of July: a short history lesson

Strike up the bands, cue the fireworks and stock up on supplies: the Fourth of July weekend is now upon us! The great holiday which commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 which is observed every year, with great celebration, pomp and circumstance by millions and millions of people across the U.S. Like most of our grand holidays in this country, people will indulge — and in some cases, overindulge — in food, alcoholic beverage, fun in the sun, and general revelry and merriment. I mean, after all, it’s a tradition which we are free to uphold.

I’d be willing to bet that a lot of people who militantly wave the American flag, who claim to be “super patriotic,” actually have little clue as to what the holiday is about. Most just go through the motions and celebrate because that is what they are expected to do; unthinkingly follow the long-standing tradition. They just have their cookouts, drink their beer (or other spirits) and when done, call it a day. I’m pretty sure a lot of people either fell asleep in their white-washed History class when the subject was talked about or, worse yet, this skipped class altogether that day.

So, a short history lesson: according to the History Channel web site, the Declaration of Independence was originally written by Thomas Jefferson, a white man and famous slave owner (isn’t there just a hint of irony here???) and later edited and revised by a bunch of other white men. A 56-member Congress adopted — not signed, as is commonly believed — the document on…