4th of July Recommendations

And a "Happy Independence Day" to whoever reads this.

The 4th of July has always been my favorite national holiday. Probably because it has no religious implications and it's pretty hard to argue with "All men are created equal."

So, let me offer just a few items that might engage your patriotic spirit on this most auspicious occasion:

First, I encourage all my friends, family, fans, and/or enemies or detractors to avail themselves to the sage commentaries of The Thomas Jefferson Hour. This is a weekly radio show that is available on some NPR stations and as podcasts via iTunes. In each episode, author and humanities scholar Clay Jenkinson assumes the persona of Thomas Jefferson, offering us an 18th century perspective on 21st century issues (or vice-versa). Jenkinson's mastery of early American history, and the writings of Thomas Jefferson and his contemporaries, is encyclopedic, and he never fails to offer an interesting insight into the principles on which this nation was founded and how they are manifest today. Go now and download a few episodes, and listen to one today.

And while you're at it, you might avail yourselves to this morning's broadcast of NPR's "Morning Edition," where the entire cast of NPRs Washington Bureau gathers round the microphones for a reading of the Declaration of Independence. It doesn't hurt to be reminded of what really went into the day we are celebrating, and the unique historical turning point that was achieved that summer day in Philadelphia in 1776.