For obvious reasons, this seems like a good time to think about patriotism. Tomorrow, right before the fireworks start, if you rise and pledge allegiance to the flag and to the republic for which it stands, I encourage you to consider what that act means to you. What is "The United States"? The land? The people? The government? The institutions? The beliefs? The culture? There is nothing inherently wrong with loving a country (and there are a lot of things about the U.S. that I'm very appreciative of), but mindless obedience to anything is dangerous, so I encourage you to use tomorrow's festivities as an opportunity to examine what you love about the country and why.