In honor of the 225th anniversary of the USA's birth, there was a reading of the Declaration of Independence by several well-known actors on the steps of the Philadelphia (PA) Museum of Art last night. I saw it on TV; were any Mudcatters there? What a stirring presentation, especially the one section that Graham Greene read concerning the "Indian" attacks on settlers!!! That was priceless!

We Americans so often hear the same passages quoted from the Declaration that we have forgotten that a large portion of it lists grievances against King George. I feel we should not dismiss this portion as past history, but remember it and be vigilant that our government does not descend into those same practices against the citizenry now or in the future. We should also use it as a gauge of the human-rights conduct of other nations, and raise our voices against oppressors the world over.

SharonA