Independence

Fireworks, hot dogs, swimming pools and freedom of speech. It's easy to trivialize our liberties, but they are very, very precious.

On our drive through the Columbia Gorge this afternoon, we listened to a Broadway review called Capitol Steps. The entire show, while hilarious and well-rhymed, bashed the Bush administration, the republicans, the right-wing media and whoever else happened to be in power.

I've got to admit. I laughed. To be fair, I would have laughed if they were poking fun at the democrats, too. Inf act, the funniest song was the one of Al Gore singing "There's a Hole in the Middle of the Ozone."

And then I thought. What a privilege that we're allowed to say anything we want. Even with all the attention given to our loss of privacy, we are still incredibly privileged to have the right to speak out without fear of imprisonment or execution. We're even allowed to make fun of our president if we want.

The next news to come on the radio told of the missiles launched from North Korea. Now there's a country I don't know much about, except that their leader seems to be pretty cranky. I wonder if the North Koreans are allowed to say that.

My brother recently visited the People's Palace in Romania, built by order of Ceausescu. Talk about a cranky leader, but I don't think anyone complained out loud about him. Especially not on the radio.

Let's embrace our liberty, our right to speak out. And while we're at it, let's use that freedom to say something important.

Oh, and while we're talking about liberties, one freedom I'd love to see revoked is my neighbor's right to aim his fireworks at the top of my thirsty noble fir.