Here I am on the farm in Illinois. I will update you on what I see, but first I still have our Independence Day Celebration on my mind. All the national attention and the President’s speech can make us proud. On my radio program in 1995 – 24 years ago – here is what I had to say then. “Listen to the speeches of our leaders. Notice the respect for our military. Military at the top. Hollywood at the bottom. The call is back to basics – education, personal responsibility, family values, the church. Concern for our own people and nation and reduced willingness to pour billions of dollars into foreign countries. We see a renewed emergence of the old “can do” independence. It is not always government’s responsibility. Get the government out of the way. We can do it.” Those were my words 24 years ago. I’m hoping for the same national spirit today.

Today, I want to talk about South Africa. I have been there, although not recently. It is good farm country.

On this Thanksgiving Day, let’s not fail to appreciate our nation and our people.