Independence Day

Thanks to Dr. Seuss and Gene Roddenberry, I developed a pretty decent vocabulary relatively early in life. By the fourth grade, I could not only spell "antidisestablishmentarianism", but I could use it in a sentence. (Of course, the sentence I used it in was "I can spell antidisestablishmentarianism"—it wasn't until years later that I would understand the concept well enough to debate its merits vs. anarcho syndicalism and whatnot.) But the 4th of July reminds me of one particular vocabularical deficiency I had as a lad: I spent several years under the impression that our great nation's founding document was the "Decoration" of Independence.

This made no sense to me, and my underdeveloped brain struggled valiantly to imagine the famous parchment being used as an interior design element, or perhaps adorning an evergreen tree, as would a Christmas Decoration. And since my Grandma's favorite national holiday was "Decoration Day", I assumed there was some connection between visiting cemeteries and blowing up stuff with fireworks.

Despite the fact that my logic was driven by nothing more than a pronunciation error, I later learned enough to understand that such a connection was very real. There is an indisputable relationship between the freedoms declared by our founders, and the imperative to recognize and remember those who have sacrificed themselves to defend those freedoms. And that brings me to the photo above: It's a picture of a delightful fellow named Clarence Burton, one of the heroes who helped us win World War II.

Oh don't worry, I don't intend to turn this blog into a promotional arm of the American Patriots History Association (though donations and volunteer support are always appreciated). But I wanted to mention Clarence -- not only because of his service and sacrifices, but also because hanging out with him was one of the highlights of my last week. Dave Barrett and I recorded an interview with Clarence a few weeks ago, and he enjoyed the experience so much that he invited us to have dinner with him at the retirement home. Bill Hurd (another entertaining and wonderful WWII vet) joined us, along with his wife. I won't bore you with the details here, but I had a great time, and learned a lot. And I can't tell you how many years it's been since I ate a salad with pineapple, coconut, and marshmallows in it. (I skipped the boiled cabbage, but it actually looked pretty tasty.)

Anyway, I guess the point is that while we pyrotechnically celebrate the wisdom of our founders and acknowledge the greatness of our country, it's also important to recognize the greatness of the people who have worked hard, stood up for our values, and continue to represent us with outstanding character, ready humor, and plain ol' basic goodness. Thank you, Clarence, Bill, and everyone across this land who embodies the principles that were so eloquently published on July 4, 1776.

Happy Fourth of July, my friends! Have a great day!