"Freedom" is a precious word for Americans. We pride ourselves in being "the land of the free" and we have made great sacrifices to preserve it as such. And we try to remember the saying of Abraham Lincoln: he who is not concerned with freedom for others will not long enjoy it himself. The foundations of our country were laid by men and women who fled oppression in other countries and sought to establish here a community of free men. As symbol of the American dream the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor lifts its torch to welcome distressed people from everywhere to this land of freedom and opportunity. In recent years we have carried this worship of "freedom’s holy light" to the extreme of policing the whole world and engaging in civil wars in distant lands.

Fourth of July is always a …