A scant 236 years ago, a group of brave, freedom-minded men thumbed their noses at the oppression of the British crown and declared the independence of the thirteen colonies. They believed in and held to be “self-evident” certain absolute truths…certain rights that they recognized as, “unalienable”…”that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

They signed off on this Declaration of Independence as follows, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

These were not just words.

They signed their names to this document knowing that act of defiance would more than likely lead them all to their deaths at the end of a hangman’s noose.

That’s hard to imagine in this day and age and yet, this is a part of our precious heritage. This is a piece of the puzzle that makes us the greatest nation the world has ever seen.

So how will you celebrate this Independence Day?

Most people will go to picnics and fireworks displays. Maybe do a cookout on their back patio. I’m certainly not putting any of this down of course. Personally, I will probably be chowing down on a hamburger and either going downtown for the local fireworks display or watch the one that’s held over the Mall in Washington DC, my old stomping grounds. (As an aside, one of my favorite memories is as a young twenty-something, lying on the Mall and looking straight up at the fireworks filling the sky directly over my head with my dad.)

Yes, the blessings of freedom should be celebrated and savored.

But I think we owe a little more thought to that day. We as Americans, and especially as conservatives, should think upon what was actually accomplished on that day so long ago. It deserves special attention.

So what can we do to honor their passion for freedom?  What will you do to remember the sacrifices they made and the risks they took in the name of liberty?

Enter Mark Levin and the Mark Levin Challenge:

For too long – from our classrooms to the halls of Congress – our Founders, the Declaration, and our Constitution have been forgotten or even willfully ignored.

But 2012 must be different. This year, join with Hillsdale College in a simple – yet powerful – symbol of support for the principles of liberty.

This 4th of July, Hillsdale College wants you to join with your friends, family, and neighbors – and actually read the Declaration of Independence. This can be the largest-ever public reading of the Declaration in American history! We want hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Americans setting aside a few minutes to remember the legacy of liberty our Founders entrusted to us.

Please go to http://levinforhillsdale.com/ and sign up.

They’ll send you a free copy of the Declaration of Independence or you can get a downloadable version.  Of course you can also just click this link and read it online. 

We have a lot of tough work to do this year; and yet, the trials we face pale in comparison with the struggles of our Founders.

Let’s all take a few minutes today and read their words.  Let’s honor them.

And let’s keep the fire burning.

UPDATE:  Last evening, Mark Levin played an audio from July 4, 1986, where President Ronald Reagan addressed the nation from New York Harbor and gave a wonderful lesson in our country’s history.  Please watch this video and remember with me how great it was when we had a President who loved America and the principles of her founding: