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Let the flag wave
This July 4 is the 50th anniversary of the 50-star American flag. The flag became official on the holiday in 1960, marking the addition of Hawaii as a state. So, from one group of islanders to another: Aloha from HHI!
The S.C. foursome
Back in 1776, the Declaration of Independence from Britain was signed by 56 men — four of them representing South Carolina. All four were born in the state.
The most prominent was Edward Rutledge, a lawyer and military officer who went on to serve as a state legislator and then governor. Thomas Lynch Jr., another legal expert and military man, set out on a trip with his wife to the West Indies later in 1776 and the ship disappeared. Arthur Middleton was captured by the British when they took Charleston in 1781 and lost most of his fortune. Thomas Heyward Jr. returned to the state in 1778 and served as a judge.
Strikingly, all four of these Brit-fighting patriots had received their higher education in England.
Play it again, Louis
Among the people born on the Fourth is the jazz man Louis Armstrong, in 1900. And among Armstrong’s greatest hits is “Struttin’ with Some Barbeque,” which seems totally appropriate for July 4. But wait a minute before you fire up that grill.
Back in 1927, when Armstrong first recorded the instrumental — written by his wife, Lil Hardin — “barbecue” was a slang term for a hot and saucy girlfriend.
OK, now strut, but with care.
Who is happiest?
Probably the most famous phrase in the U.S. Declaration of Independence is the right to the pursuit of happiness. Yet scientific as well as other studies always find certain other nations are happier. Most often cited is Denmark, along with Finland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and the island countries of Malta and Vanuatu.
Well, these are pretty much small places, compared to the United States. So, in addition to being too big to fail, are we too big to be happy? Let the pursuit continue.
A unique liberty
In addition to the valuable freedoms traditionally celebrated, there’s a special one some people love about the Fourth: freedom from guilt and disappointment. Unlike so many other holidays, July 4 does not require buying the right gifts or cards or flowers, or wearing the right clothes, or saying the right things. Just be free.
