In honor of Independence Day, the Women’s Business Development Center reflects on the critical importance of democracy in the United States and on the world stage. Now more than ever, we must preserve our freedoms from the countless threats that seek to erode them—at home and abroad. Our founding fathers built our nation around the core principles of liberty, justice, and the rule of law, while seeking democracy and declare independence. As an organization and as Americans, we stand by those guiding beliefs.