|
Posted
7-4-08
Americans
Celebrate Independence Day
By VOA News
Americans across the United States are celebrating Independence Day Friday,
commemorating the country's birth as a nation 232 years ago.
July 4, 1776, was
the day delegates from the 13 original American colonies officially declared
independence from Britain.
A concert and a giant
fireworks show are annual holiday traditions in Washington, D.C., as is
a hot dog eating contest at New York's Coney Island.
U.S. President George
Bush welcomed 72 new U.S. citizens in a ceremony in Virginia at the home
of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and
the country's third president.
President Bush's remarks
were disrupted several times by shouting protesters. He responded by saying
"we believe in free speech in the United States of America."
Democratic presidential
candidate Barack Obama is participating in a parade in Montana. Republican
candidate John McCain is in his home state of Arizona.
Meanwhile, more than
1,200 U.S. troops serving in Iraq re-enlisted in Baghdad to mark the holiday.
U.S. military officials
said it was the largest re-enlistment ceremony since the U.S. all-volunteer
force started in 1973.
Some information
for this report was provided by Reuters.
|
