The Fourth of July is our national holiday to celebrate the most American of virtues — independence. The day is obviously about commemorating the historical anniversary of our country’s separation from Great Britain. But more deeply, I’d argue it’s about reaffirming the paramount importance of our own individual independence, the basis for our country’s founding and the existential blood that still flows through our culture and institutions, even while other values like patriotism and civic responsibility have seemingly run thin.
