Yet it seems as if, like many holidays, the meaning has been obscured by the celebration. Let’s review.

In 1776, we declared ourselves independent of Great Britain, casting off their chains and declaring ourselves forever free from foreign tyranny. We were a new kind of nation, a true representative democracy and an experiment unlike any the world had ever seen.

Two hundred thirty-one years later, here we are, a country whose core principals of democracy are being tested by its newest threat_terrorism. Just last weekend, a foiled bombing in London is all the proof we need that the threat of terrorism at any time and any place is very real. The on-going war in Iraq has many Americans frustrated and worried, and our president’s approval rating is at an all-time low.

In the name of "homeland security," some say we’ve sacrificed our privacy and the right to remain anonymous.

We’ve also taken to tightening and closing off our borders, choosing instead to lock the poor and huddled masses out, rather than take them in as our forefathers did. For a nation built by immigrants, this is a worrisome change in character, even if the desire to keep out terrorists is the rationale.

Increasingly we’ve seen religion creep into our government and arguments being expounded that this is a Christian nation founded on Christian principles. Whatever the truth of that argument is, mixing religion and state is a dangerous prospect with potentially explosive repercussions. Look no further than the Middle East for examples.

While enjoying Fourth of July parties and fireworks over the weekend, spend some time considering your notions of what truly makes America the land of the free and the home of the brave.

What better time than the celebration of our Independence to take a good long look at what that means today. Are our leaders making the right moves to protect us from terrorism, or are the terrorists winning every time we limit our freedoms in order to be ``safer?’’