Cord Byrd: “On Friday, July 4, the United States will conduct the 232nd celebration of Independence Day. On this day, we commemorate…”

“On Friday, July 4, the United States will conduct the 232nd celebration of Independence Day. On this day, we commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Flags will fly and rousing music will be heard before the faint whiff of gunpowder and thunderous boom of fireworks reminds us of the great struggle that took place to set our Nation upon its course through history. Amid all the parades, fireworks, and backyard barbeques, it is worthwhile to consider the document itself. The Declaration of Independence is an amazing and powerful manuscript. Phrases in its opening paragraphs are familiar to most Americans: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.'' That line may well be the most recognizable sentence in American political history. It is certainly among the top 10. As famous as the phrase ``Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,'' is, however, it is not the first sentence of the Declaration.”