A Capital Birthday

Today is the 249th birthday of the United States of America. This is a day to celebrate the independence of this country, based on the ideals of Founding Fathers who sought to craft a new country devoid of tyranny, offering liberty and justice to all peoples.  The country certainly wasn't perfect upon its founding.  Anyone who wasn't a free white man was not allowed to vote, for example.  But it's evolved and progressed and advanced over the years.  And though every generation has had its trials and tribulations in this country, the important thing is to remember the spirit of this nation as a melting pot and a bastion for freedom and democracy.  We let freedom ring unconditionally--not just for those deemed to deserve it.  And that's important to remember.  The government is here to serve the people--and not just some of them, but all of them.  That's what the United States is about.

The U.S. Capitol in miniature form at the Main Street Opera House.