As America celebrates its independence, even we foreigners who live here have much to celebrate. (I’m a Soviet-born naturalized Canadian who’s lived in the United States my entire adult life—finally got my green card three years ago—and like most immigrants, do a job Americans won’t: defending the Constitution.)

Indeed, those of us who voluntarily chose to come here very much appreciate all that native-born Americans take for granted: the rule of law, equality under the law, self-government whose very limitation protects liberty, freedom of speech and religion, property rights, and enforceable contracts. It is these things that have allowed the United States to become the land of opportunity—which is why it’s so heartbreaking when the rule of law is undermined, self-government debased, and individual liberty subverted such as has been the case throughout the entire ObamaCare debacle.

In this 225th year of the Constitution—Cato will celebrate the anniversary at our Constitution Day Symposium in September—we all need to remember that our founding document, the codification of that grand experiment in self-government which began on July 4, 1776, cannot protect our liberties if we do not act to enforce it. Benjamin Franklin explained that what the Framers has created was “a Republic, if you can keep it.” How do we keep it? A quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson is the perfect response: “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”

How will you demonstrate your vigilance? I’ll be doing so by speaking briefly about my favorite Federalist Paper, number 51 (“If men were angels…” at the Alexandria Tea Party’s Fourth of July Celebration. Hope to see you there, in person or in spirit!