Two hundred thirty-one years ago, the founders of this nation signed a mission statement for the country they intended to liberate. The document promised each American, among other things, the right to pursue happiness.

More than two centuries later, the men whose names appear below the words of the Declaration of Independence would be hard-pressed to say whether or not we, as a country, are honoring that promise.

Those men chose their words wisely: They did not guarantee inhabitants of their new nation happiness, just the option of figuring out what makes them content, then going for it.

Laws forbid homosexual men and women from legally marrying in most states, thus denying them that happiness. Social prejudice still prevents advancement in the workplace for some minorities. Residents of neighborhoods wracked with crime likely feel a sense of being trapped by their environment.

However, consider the lives of people in countries where the pursuit of happiness is a concept some don't even dare to imagine. Instead, survival in the midst of famine, war and violence is the only task on every day's agenda.

In Sierra Leone, a 10-year civil war made children slaves in the diamond mines and the rampant spread of AIDS has left its people with the shortest average lifespan of any other nation (37 years for men).

Every year, more than 800,000 people are smuggled across international borders for the sex trade and other forms of forced and indentured labor from countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait and Algeria.

Our own American soldiers are fighting for the freedom of the people of Iraq, where a simple stroll down the street can result in death.

For those of us who have nothing keeping us from doing so, how do we create happiness in our own lives?

This Fourth of July, reflect on what makes you truly happy, then exercise your right and pursue it.

If you're tired of an injustice, do something about it. If you're dissatisfied with lawmakers, let them know it. If your community has problems, initiate a solution.

And while you do, remember how fortunate we are that our forefathers had the vision to ensure we can chase whatever makes us happy, without fear.