Doubtlessly, you and the kids have enjoyed the Nicolas Cage movie, "National Treasure," by now. Rare, indeed, is the occasion when you can actually take the kids to see a vital plot component of a major motion picture: the Declaration of Independence. When you visit the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and stand in hushed awe amidst the towering echo chamber of the rotunda where the most important of American historical documents is kept, you will never accept that stealing such it could be so incredibly easy.
Every American, regardless of whether they are 3 or 93, needs to visit the rotunda inside the National Archives at least once in their lives. Placed beneath the domed architecture inside this eerily silent room is the foundational document upon which this great experiment in self-rule was based. If you have not been to Washington, D.C., or it has been so long you have forgotten the tremendous sense of pride at witnessing the actual signature of John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence or looking at the original Constitution of the United States, you can bet there has never been a more perfect opportunity.
American optimism can be traced back to the documents on display inside the National Archives. We the People are finding ourselves holding this truth to be self-evident. Take the kids to see all the amazing documents that have meant so much to this country and watch the illumination in their eyes.
