56 men, of position and privilege, risked all to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Lawyers, judges, merchants, landowners, farmers, doctors, ministers, and politicians.

Despite enormous hardship, every one of them held to their words: “And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

You may love or hate Rush Limbaugh, but his father’s speech on what that group of 56 men committed their lives to on July 4 1776 cuts across ideology, and bears repeating.

“…our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”

That was no idle boast. Lawyers, judges, doctors, all held true, many paid a price…

Rush’s dad detailed their sacrifice…“Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment. Several lost wives, sons or entire families. One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated. All were at one time or another the victims of manhunts and driven from their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so much to create is still intact.”

It bears repeating: “…not one defected or went back on his pledged word…”

“Each had more to lose by Revolution than he had to gain by it.”

Who among us would commit our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor for the belief in God-created unalienable rights of man? “To reestablish the reign of Peace and Law?”

Every man’s freedom…a birthright. THAT was American Exceptionalism…defined.

Can we find a similar caliber of men and women on election day November, 2014?