Just about everyone remembers the patriotic groundswell after the events of 9-11-01, and just about everyone remembers how quickly it went away. Now, with public sentiment towards President Bush and the war in Iraq starting to swing in the angry direction, I'm wondering what kind of July 4th we can expect this year. It's normally a time when Americans celebrate their freedoms and the founding of this country. However, more and more people believe that our freedoms are shrinking and that the country we live in barely resembles the one that was founded over 200 years ago.

Some still believe and get teary-eyed about America and they'll light their skyrockets and roman candles, saluting our soldiers, celebrating the greatest country in the world, the most powerful and the most free. These are probably the same folks who drive Hummers, live in $500,000 houses and don't mix with the likes of common folk, unless they have to. Maybe I'm wrong - some immigrants may celebrate too - but maybe they have no clue just how bad things are. Then again, isn't it always worse someplace else?

Except for the lure to pyromaniacs, there's just not much left in the Fourth Of July that means much in my opinion. Seems this country's undone everything that our forefathers laid in place. Not that they were perfect either.

I think there's hope, that maybe we'll celebrate a day that eclipses July 4th as a day that we assert our independence. But it'll take another revolution to make it happen.