Happy 4th of July (almost)!

Today Jennifer and I went to "Colonial Days" and "Ellis Island in the Park." It was really fun, and we both learned a lot. We were able to become "True Americans" by taking a test and making commitments that immigrants coming through Ellis Island were required to make before becoming citizens. I found myself getting emotional while watching the video on immigrants coming to Ellis Island and while reviewing the citizenship commitments. I couldn't help but think of my own ancestors who had made that voyage and about how much things have changed since then. I kept thinking about how we certainly don't seem to still be saying, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." And then, in my cynicism, I read the following citizenship commitments:

1. Are you willing to fight for liberty?
2. Do you understand and agree that you have certain God-given rights and that government's only legitimate function is to help you protect those rights?
3. Are you willing to risk your security in order to insure your liberty?
4. Do you accept the Declaration of Independence as our foundation for good government?
5. Are you willing to voluntarily support our military in causes that are under the Constitutional authority of the United States of America?
6. Are you willing to have hope in America, even when all looks lost?
7. Are you willing to pray for America?
8. Are you willing to accept the United States Constitution of 1787 as lawfully amended as the supreme law of the land?
9. Are you willing to understand and fight to preserve our natural, God-given rights?
10. Are you willing to pledge your allegiance to the United States of America?

After reading and making these commitments, I am more excited than ever to begin law school and start down the path of preparing myself to fulfill these commitments as well as I possibly can. On that note, Happy Independence Day! I'm so grateful for this wonderful, if imperfect, country that we live in. And I'm even more grateful that we have the ability to continue to work to make it better for all who live here.

Check out this printing press!

(In fact you can see it yourself at the Crandall Printing Press -

http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=15486)

This is the fun little cafe in Provo where we had lunch.

This is my immigrant picture. It was too hot to dress up in costumes. Besides, doesn't this totally look like me standing in New York?

Here we are standing in the middle of the star made of flags, as "True Americans!"