Independence Day

In the movie Independence Day, Will Smith kills a bunch of aliens who attack the United States with giant killer UFOs. There are quite a few good one-liners and some awesome action sequences, but no one remembers any of those; they only remember the scene where the White House is blown to smithereens, and if they're old enough, they remember how everyone in the theater cheered at that moment.

That's the kind of independence most people are after these days—freedom from law, not freedom under law. What they seem to forget is that the Founding Fathers weren't a bunch of anarchists who simply wanted to do whatever they wanted without England butting in. The Founding Fathers only wanted England to treat the U.S. equitably as part of the British monarchy.

When England essentially refused to do so, the American Patriots decided to take matters into their own hands. Yes, there were other prominent motives for throwing off the yoke of English rule, most of them economic, but ideologically the Revolution was fuelled by a desire for a national government that was answerable to the people and inherently limited in scope and sovereignty.

Over the years, the United States have drifted away from the initial ideals of men like Madison, Jefferson and Adams. That doesn't mean we don't enjoy basically the same model of government they set up, and it certainly doesn't mean that we've lost any significant amount of liberties. We remain a checked-and-balanced nation that values freedom and responsibility, and we celebrate it every July 4th.

Sure, we still remember the formation of our country, the signing of the Declaration of Independence and all that. But nearly two and a half centuries later, the celebration of Independence Day is less about the origins of our nation than it is about its continuing commitment to liberty, freedom of conscience, and justice at home and around the world.

None of us at Exodus Books are flag-waving fanatics, nor do we support everything the U.S. does or stands for. Wars on foreign soil may or may not be justified, and as a nation we've certainly turned from biblical morality toward reprobate license. At the same time, the fact that we can worship Christ on Sunday without fear, preach His name to others, and still vote when the time comes is reason enough to light off some fireworks and eat fried chicken at the beginning of each summer.

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America's Paul Revere
by Esther Forbes
from Sandpiper Books
Biography for 2nd-6th grade
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$12.99
American History Stories Volume 2
by Mara L. Pratt
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American Revolution
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American Revolution
America at War Series
by Alden Carter
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Amos Fortune, Free Man
by Elizabeth Yates, illustrated by Nora S. Unwin
from Puffin Books
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1951 Newbery Medal winner
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Answering the Cry for Freedom
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Arrow Over the Door
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Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia
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Benjamin Franklin
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from Beautiful Feet Books
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$17.95
Benjamin Franklin
Heroes of History
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from Emerald Books
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$11.99
Betsy Ross: Designer of our Flag
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Ann Weil
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$7.99
Black Heroes of the American Revolution
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1992 Odyssey Classics edition from Clarion Books
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Cabin Faced West
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Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
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Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
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1956 Newbery Medal winner
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$9.99
Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Colonial Patriots
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Dharathula H. Millender
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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Early American History for Intermediate Grades - Guide
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Early Thunder
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Fiddler's Green
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Fight for Freedom
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Francis Asbury
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George vs. George
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George Washington
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George Washington
Heroes of History
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George Washington
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George Washington
Childhood of Famous Americans / History's All-Stars
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George Washington - Coloring Book
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George Washington: Our First Leader
Childhood of Famous Americans
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Guns for General Washington
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Heroes and Heroines of the American Revolution - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
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History of US Book 3
History of US Book 3
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3rd Revised Edition from Oxford University
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Johnny Tremain
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Justin Morgan Had a Horse
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1946 Newbery Honor Book
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Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #8
by Nathan Hale
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Life of Washington
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Meet George Washington
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Childhood of Famous Americans
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Mr. Revere and I
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Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1975 Newbery Honor Book
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One Dead Spy
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales #1
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Paul Revere's Ride
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Paul Revere: Boston Patriot
Childhood of Famous Americans
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Phoebe the Spy
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Real Revolution
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Revolutionary John Adams
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Sophia's War
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Story of the American Revolution - Coloring Book
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Story of the Declaration of Independence
Cornerstones of Freedom series
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Struggle for Sea Power
Story of the World Series #4
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Story of the World Series #4
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Thomas Jefferson: Third President of the United States
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Helen Albee Monsell
1989 Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$7.99
Time Travelers: American Revolution - CD-ROM
Time Travelers History Study on CD-ROM
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Toliver's Secret
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Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold
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Two Williams
Monroe Family Chronicles #3
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from Veritas Press
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Uniforms of the American Revolution - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
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Voice of Her Own
by Kathryn Lasky, Illustrated by Paul Lee
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$6.99
Warriors Through the Ages - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Bruce LaFontaine
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We Were There at the Boston Tea Party
by Robert N. Webb
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What is the Declaration of Independence?
What Was?
1st edition from Grosset & Dunlap
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Who Was Paul Revere?
Who Was? Biographies
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Yankee Doodle Boy
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