Tag: Declaration of Independence

Why I Celebrate This Day

We in America celebrate independence today. If I really wanted to be picky, I would say this is the wrong day—the actual vote for independence came on July 2, 1776, but since the Declaration of Independence was approved two days later, that has become the national holiday. Fine with me; we should celebrate both days. Of course, in order to celebrate it, one needs to know what it’s all about. As a people, we’re coming up a little short on… Read more »

A Historian’s Perspective on Bad Times in American History

I don’t think there’s really any disagreement about how pessimistic the majority of Americans are about the future. Currently, all the polls reveal that pessimism.  As I survey the scene—the spiritual/moral, political, and cultural aspects [what does that leave?]—I have grave concerns as well. I plan to expound on those concerns in tomorrow’s post. But for now, I’d like to offer a historian’s perspective. Since I teach American history, I have a more in-depth knowledge of what has transpired previously…. Read more »

Heroic Heritage

Historic anniversaries abound this week. Yesterday was one that almost everyone in America knows: D-Day. How many, though, can talk about what took place at the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on that day? One of the most heroic actions of D-Day was the scaling of those cliffs by a special Army Ranger battalion. Their mission was to take out the guns at the top that could have devastated the invasion force on all the other beaches. Those Rangers achieved… Read more »