Reading and Reflecting on the Declaration of Independence — 248 Years Later

Do we ever take a moment to stop and reflect on the founding of our country, the sacrifices of our Founding Fathers, and the founding document that boldly declared our national independence 248 years ago today?

For many years, I kept an annual tradition of reading and discussing the Declaration of Independence on the radio. We did so because it’s not done nearly enough, even though it’s something every family should do together — and because it’s an essential reminder of what so many of our forebears fought and died for.

In special celebration, I wanted to share the last reading of the Declaration I performed for my former radio show in July 2023. It’s followed by a tremendous patriotic anthem entitled “Don’t Tread On Me,” written by two-time Rock ’n Roll Hall of Famer Richie Furay, as performed live in-studio by Richie and me in 2019, with yours truly on harmonica.

I hope you’ll read along, enjoy, and share this episode. Happy Independence Day!