Born in the USA

I was, and today is the day to celebrate 230 years of independence from those nasty Britons. Learn a bit from the White House website about how, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The full transcript of the Declaration of Independence can be seen at the National Archives, but the beginning phrases should be well known:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

It goes on to say some pretty good things.

Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA, on the other hand, is actually kind of depressing, if you can get past that oh-so-catchy chorus.

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man

In his July 4th radio address, President Bush said

On the 4th of July we also honor the sacrifices made by each American generation to secure the promises of the Declaration of Independence. For more than two centuries, from the camps of Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan, Americans have served and sacrificed for the principles of our founding.

Today, a new generation of American patriots is defending our freedom against determined and ruthless enemies.
…
As we celebrate the 4th, we also remember that the promises of liberty contained in our Declaration apply to all people. Because Americans believe that freedom is an unalienable right, we value the freedom of every person in every nation. And because we are committed to the God-given worth of every life, we strive to promote respect for human dignity. Today, all who live in tyranny and all who yearn for freedom can know that America stands with them.

Call me cynical, but I think Bruce Springsteen’s version was more accurate of the sacrifices made by American generations.