Like most Americans, I hope to spend part of this week celebrating our great nation’s birthday with family and friends.  The Fourth of July just doesn’t seem complete without the picnics, parades and fireworks that we have known since childhood.

As much as we enjoy these traditions, Independence Day is an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of being an American. The Declaration of Independence makes it clear. To be an American is about much more than the place we call home. It is a deeply felt commitment to higher principles: liberty, equality, opportunity and self-governance.

I wish you a Happy Independence Day!