On this day 244 years ago, a small band of patriots did something unthinkable. These patriots declared that we were a people created equal, free to think and worship as we please; and that our future would not be determined by a king or prince or emperor, it would be determined by us. 

But in order to achieve these "radical" concepts, these patriots knew they'd have to be willing to give their lives for the freedom they desired. And that the battle for these ideals wouldn't end with the final shots of the American Revolution. 

Rather, it would require a constant vigilance on the part of all Americans for generations to come so that this land of liberty and opportunity would continue to thrive. 

And now, hundreds of years later after that fateful day in Philadelphia, these patriots' experiment in democracy still stands as a beacon of hope for those across the globe who cherish these ideals.

On behalf of ISI, best wishes to you and your families for a happy Independence Day.