Earlier this week America celebrated its Independence Day. Celebrations included parades, fireworks and traditional American summertime fare.

But with the fireworks silenced, the hot-dog heartburn just a memory, we wonder: What would the Founding Fathers think of what America has become?

We have to think the early American leaders would be thrilled, on one hand, to see just how wealthy and successful their grand experiment had become.

They would marvel at the success of their fledgling country’s growth into a world super power.

Amazing advances in science and technology made in America would baffle their 18th century minds.

We cannot help but also think they would be disappointed a bit, as well.

In America’s quest for political correctness and conformity, the hardened early Americans may suggest, we’ve become a nation that is too soft.

We’ve lost our edge a bit by becoming too comfortable with what we’ve accomplished and in doing so we don’t push the envelope as much as we once did.

American ingenuity and know-how put a man on the moon — with only a decade of effort.

Today we’re a nation that imports more than we produce and is drowning in our own debt.

Before we pop off another firecracker before next year’s Fourth of July celebration, we hope the country takes a cue from our forefathers and takes some bold steps to ensure our nation continues to flourish for a long, long time.

Chief among these would be taking a sharp pencil to the nation’s budget to get our financial house in order make us less dependent on foreign debt holders.

Then, we need to make an actual, aggressive energy policy to make the U.S. more energy independent.

Accomplishing those two changes would be worth a great, nationwide celebration.