Independence Day — What Does It Mean To You?

What does "Independence Day" mean to you? Parades, barbecues, fireworks?

How about sedition, treason and risking everything for what you believe?

Watch this video produced by Declare Yourself — and pause to think about it.

Be brave, be true. Happy Independence Day.

If you can't get to the National Archives, take a gander below: here's what the Declaration of Independence looks like:

Read the text here.

Declaration of Independence

Have you ever read it? I mean, really sat down and read the words that brought about this nation?

It was an insanely seditious thing to do, declare independence from the monarchy.

Everyone was in a monarchy in those days (the "gang" of the 18th century), so the colony that went out on a limb to become its own country would stand alone. Only France, itself on the cusp of revolution, would deign to support its independent brethren.

An even more important question is who among the world's monarchs would not try to quash said revolution? Think about it: if one small upstart colony was successful, how many colonies would try the same thing? Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

So, please watch this video I view often to remind me what the Declaration of Independence meant back in 1776 when Benjamin Franklin declared, "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." And appreciate the risks taken by our forebears who risked much to create the cornerstone of this ever-evolving democratic republic.

Happy Independence Day. Sic semper tyrannis.

Chris' Favorite Videos

Here are a few videos you can check out on the Internet. Very clever, and pretty fun.

• Hollywood Declares Themselves — Part 2
The first "Don't Vote" ad from the Hollywood opinionated (Leonardo DiCaprio, Halle Berry, et. al.) was clever. This one was even better.

• Dreidel by Erran Baron Cohen (featuring Jules Brooks and Y-Love)
Hebrew grafitti? Hebrew rapping? And all featuring the younger brother of Borat himself? As if I could resist!

• Where the Hell is Matt?
When you travel, what do you do? Take a few photos, wander through landmarks, maybe dance with strangers on camera? Well, that's what Matt Harding does. He goes to very visually recognizable places and dances. Once the world caught sight of this somewhat chunky average American, he was beseiged by people who wanted to dance with him — which they did — then he told people how he managed this fete. Also check out his outtakes.

• Dancing in Fairfax
What's the sincerest form of flattery? Watching a few high school students take Matt's idea and apply it to my neighborhood.

• "Ron Howard's Call to Action" on Funny or Die
Will Ferrell put this site on the map, but Paris Hilton's fake presidential campaign kept it in the limelight. Next: comparing Forrest Gump to Benjamin Button!