National celebration prompts discussion about freedom

On Saturday, July 4, we will celebrate Independence Day. This day celebrates the foundational principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence, specifically, that all people have fundamental, unalienable rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” Notably this day will also mark the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.

When the United States declared its independence in 1776, it established a radical new system of government whose experiment in self-governance revolutionized political power. Prior to the American Revolution, almost all countries were governed by monarch...