Issue date: 7/7/05 Section: Opinions

Chris Luther/City Editor

Independence Day is the best time of the year to show American pride. It is a pure and everlasting image of American tradition.

As July makes its way closer on the calendar year, people prepare to celebrate their country's independence with good barbecue, music, fireworks and friends.

The largest July Fourth celebration in Illinois is the Taste of Chicago. Last weekend concluded the Taste, which offered over 60 restaurants throughout Grant Park to people who traveled from all over the state to attend.

Throughout the duration of the Taste, many famous artists played to satisfy the 3.6 million people who attended. Some of these artists include LL Cool J, Moby and also the Grant Park Orchestra. The 3.6 million attendees listened to free music and could buy more samples of food than the human stomach has room for.

However, I can think of one artist the Taste didn't have, which is Aaron Tippin. Sorry Chicago, but we booked him first. Tippin entertained thousands Sunday afternoon at Morton Park where spectator's spirits were very high. The crowd enthusiastically cheered throughout the performance as Tippin put on a good show.

As my friends and I were leaving the concert, we somehow (like many others leaving the show) wandered into the beer garden set up at the Panther Paw parking lot. It was the friendliest bar environment I've been in for quite some time. Independence day brings out the best in us (Americans).

This is the first July Fourth I have spent in Charleston, and I was impressed with the coordination of events that occurred in our very own back yard. Red, White and Blue Days offered many events to Coles County residents Sunday and Monday.

I awoke Monday morning to see neighbors setting up chairs along our street for the parade. Around 1:15 p.m. we saw firefighters leading the march of a very long regiment stripped with red, white and blue.

I followed the parade to Morton Park, where I saw children dancing in water being sprayed from above by local firefighters. I can tell you one thing firefighters in Chicago weren't doing at the Taste, and that was spraying down youngsters and enjoying the festivities. Chicago firefighters had their hands filled with 3.6 million people flooding the streets in a shoulder-to-shoulder gridlock.

I applaud the Fourth of July committee because it went above my expectations. A small-town Fourth of July encompasses American tradition that everyone can enjoy.

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