Tomorrow, as a community and with our nation, we celebrate the 233rd year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence from England. In honor of that day and for the courage undertaken by 40 brave men, on page 4A we are running a copy of this great masterpiece.

We have not been a perfect nation over these past 233 years, but we have been the best.

We have lost hundreds of thousands of our bravest and smartest young men and women who were defending the principles of that declaration.

We have tried to correct our mistakes as a nation, as brave men like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. rose to the occasion to preserve the principles outlined in the declaration.

We have had men of vision like Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie and Steve Jobs, who embraced the freedoms that the Declaration of Independence espouses and who helped make us the industrial and technological power of the world.

Sometime this weekend, please take the time to read the Declaration of Independence. If you do, not only will it renew your sense of national pride, but it will assure you that our nation has withstood the turmoil of war and occasional bad leadership to remain a beacon of hope and freedom for the world.

This Declaration of Independence was created because of the determination of a small group of common men and it works because of a nation of ordinary people like us.

Happy Birthday America and we thank our God everyday for choosing us to be a part of this country.

Have a safe and happy holiday.