As you celebrate the Fourth of July holiday on Saturday with your loved ones, keep in mind the historic nature of this day and what it means to every citizen of this great nation.

In the USA, individual liberty takes precedence even above the legitimate interest of the state, at least in the Constitution. The aristocratic elite of the world always enjoyed these liberties, but this nation extended those freedoms and rights to all people.

As we have become a more enlightened people, we have brought everyone to the table of freedom. This table is filled with the rarest delicacies (freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to assemble, a fair trial by one’s peers) and the sweetest treats (voting for the candidate of your choice, the ability to pursue your dreams and make your own place in society) – yours to enjoy, savor or reject, as you see fit.

Every American can pull up a comfortable seat to this bountiful table to enjoy the fruit of this great land now, not just the elite, not just the landed gentry, and not just the members of certain ethnic distinctions.

The table’s legs are constructed from the finest material – the Declaration of Independence.

The round tabletop is beautifully detailed with designs that seem simple until you delve deeper to find abstraction and fluidity that, paradoxically, give rise to steadfast permanence – the Constitution.

And as a centerpiece for this bare, yet richly complex table is the American Flag – looking even more beautiful today than it did when it was first made during the War for Independence.

Have a happy and safe July 4th