Saturday, most us will gather with friends and family for a meal and/or a good time.

The Fourth of July is one of America’s greatest holidays, and there are not many ways to celebrate it any better than on the water or gathered around a grill with some friends.

July 4 is yet another day that has been commercialized by the companies that make hot dogs, beer and bass boats. And all that is just fine so long as we don’t lose site of why the day is so revered.

For those of you who may have forgotten, July 4 is significant because it’s the day the Declaration of Independence was approved.

Food, friends and fireworks are all great time-honored holiday traditions but at least a portion of the Fourth should be dedicated to reflecting upon what’s lead us to 233 years of rights and freedoms.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have died in the preservation of those freedoms and in their efforts to spread freedom elsewhere.

The defense of the Declaration of Independence is just as important as its adoption.

Those brave men and women should not be forgotten as we trod into yet another year of being the greatest county on the planet.