We hold these truths (and trials) to be self evident
Fireworks seen from Capitol Hill, 2021 Today is our country's 250th anniversary. We will celebrate it as we have for years, with the Capitol Hill 4th of July Parade sometimes led off by our local marching band followed by, most probably, a late breakfast at Mr. Henry's. We will probably take a pass on tonight's fireworks--they're sorta late, it's hot, and fireworks are great for a little while but they get dull after a while. I can imagine folks on the mall tonight taking pictures with their phones of the fireworks for the first fifteen minutes and then reading their phones for the remainder of the display (it will get smoky, as the air in DC stops moving starting around June 21st and doesn't start moving again until about September 3rd.). I believe the day is a celebration of both the central truth of the United States, that all men are created equal, and the central trial of the United States, the challenge of living up to our central truth. That is the...