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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13 Colonies: Georgia
by Roberta Wiener and James R. Arnold
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1776
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1776
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Alexander Hamilton
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America's Ethan Allen
by Stewart H. Holbrook; illustrated by Lynd Ward
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Picture Book Biography for 4th-6th grade
1950 Caldecott Honor Book
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American Children Through Their Books
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1970 printing from University of Pennsylvania Press
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American Heritage History of the American Revolution
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American Revolution
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American Revolution
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Historical Non-fiction for 4th-6th grade
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American Revolution
Revolution!
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American Revolutionaries
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American Story: The Revolutionaries
Time-Life: The American Story
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And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
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Arrow Over the Door
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World's Greatest Literature
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Battle of Valcour Bay
Triangle Histories: The Revolutionary War
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See and Read: Beginning to Read Biography
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Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia
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Black Heroes of the American Revolution
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1992 Odyssey Classics edition from Clarion Books
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Black Man in America
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Concise Illustrated History of the American Revolution
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Childhood of Famous Americans
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Far Frontier
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My American Journey
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From Colonies to Country with George Washington - Set
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General Washington's Army
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George Washington
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George Washington for Kids
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George Washington You Never Knew
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George Washington's Breakfast
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George Washington, Spymaster
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George Washington: Soldier and Man
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Give Me Liberty
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Give Me Liberty!
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Great Little Madison
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Guns for General Washington
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Haym Salomon: Liberty's Son
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Hero Tales
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Heroes of the American Revolution
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History of Human Society: Pioneer America
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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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How Our Nation was Born: The American Revolution
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If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution
If You Were There
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A Doubleday Signal Book
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Jennie Lee, Patriot
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Sterling Point Books
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Illustrated American Classics
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Justin Morgan Had a Horse
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Justin Morgan Had a Horse
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King George's Head Was Made of Lead
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Kings Mountain
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Liberty or Death
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Life & Times of Washington
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Life and Letters of Benjamin Franklin
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Life of Washington
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Light and the Glory for Children
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List
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Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
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Biography for 7th-10th grade
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Making of George Washington
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Meet George Washington
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Meet George Washington
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Meet Thomas Jefferson
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Midshipman Bolitho
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Molly Pitcher: Young Patriot
Childhood of Famous Americans
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My Brother Sam Is Dead
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Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1975 Newbery Honor Book
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My Brother Sam Is Dead
by James & Christopher Collier
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Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1975 Newbery Honor Book
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Nathan Hale
Hidden History: Spies
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Nathan Hale
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New England Soldiers of the American Revolution
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On the Road to Independence
To Pledge Allegiance #3
by Gary DeMar & George Grant
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American History Reference for 9th-12th grade
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Patrick Henry
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Patrick Henry
The Founding Fathers
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Paul Revere
First Biographies
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