Some thought on this Fourth of July.

The word "patriotism" has been bandied about far too much since 9/11.
I fear people have lost site of what the word actually means and, more importantly,
people have draped themselves in the word, much as they have the flag.
Patriotism can slip into jingoism without even trying.

On this holiday, I prefer the word "liberty."
It's what was fought for all those years ago, what our country was founded on.
I think the word invokes personal responsibility as well as personal freedom.
It is what we should cherish. It is the light we should hold up, both as a country and as people.

Liberty is what we should remember before we trample about in the name of patriotism.