It's been 243 years since the group of men--yes, men, white men of European ancestry, businessmen and landowners--pledged their lives, their fortunes, and something that has become a scarce commodity in the "post-modern" world, their sacred honor, to the formation of a country ruled not by a king, but by the people themselves, exercising our God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Despite overwhelming odds, the united States of America grew and prospered, becoming a magnet for people from around the world in search of liberty and the freedom to achieve a better life for themselves and their generations to come.