As we approach Independence Day, an American holiday loaded with baseball and hot dogs, I’m mindful of the ties that bind. The things that bind us together as a nation. Things like patriotism, family, friendship and faith in a higher power. Those long-held American values that define us and make America great. (They also form the foundation of every good country music song.) But, as we approach Independence Day in the United States, we are seeing a rising level of, well, independence. And, a sense that people are abandoning these long-held values.