Happy Fourth of July

My fondest Independence Day memory comes from when my family and I were in Washington D.C. on summer vacation. My Dad and I went to the movies to see (what else?) "Independence Day," a mediocre remake of "War of the Worlds." If there's an optimal way to see that movie, it's in a packed theater in D.C. on the Fourth of July.

Now, if you've ever seen the movie, you might be able to recall Bill Pullman's Dramatic Speech Before the Desperate Last Stand:

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"Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!" We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

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It was and still is a cheesy speech, full of the St. Crispin's Day bravado and bombast but watered down for mass consumption. And yet, if I recall correctly, that theater cheered. Now that I think about it, Bill Pullman's words could apply to the current "War on Terror"...