Reflection on American Independence and Values

Great nations are born of great people.

They cannot survive long without them.

Duty, sacrifice, service to a cause beyond oneself,

belief in something larger and more important than the individual.

These, these are the causes that impelled

a group of extraordinary men to declare their independence

to the world 250 years ago.

The men who signed our Declaration of Independence

understood that liberty meant something much more than

being able to do whatever one wants.

It was not the mere absence of limits.

It was not liberation from man's duty to family,

to nation, to God.

They understood that order and virtue are the indispensable foundation

of a free people and that human virtue

has to be cultivated by human institutions

like the family, the church, just and moral laws,

and the habits and practices of self-government.

This is the true American tradition of freedom,

passed down to us across the generations,

stewarded and defended by men and women for 250 years.

It has been the foundation of American greatness.

Let us all pray that it will continue for

the next 250 years as well.

American Diplomacy Network