Happy 250th Birthday, America!

In 1776, a group of men (with many women supporting them all the way) declared their independence from a monarch. These men believed that everyone has the right to self-determination, that the government derives its power from the people, not the other way around. The Founding Fathers broadly embraced free enterprise, a free market system, self-sufficiency and private ownership. Their vision evolved into our present-day capitalism.

While capitalism has its flaws, its foundational principles of self-motivation, productivity, competition and ingenuity cannot be -- and have never been -- matched by other "-isms." It is this entrepreneurial spirit -- this drive to create something and make things bigger and better -- that is the bedrock of America.

With that comes investing. For those of us who don't have creative ideas (the light bulb, the iPhone, space flight) or the means to implement them, we have the opportunity to invest in those who do. We can share in Apple's success. We can own real estate. We can invest in biotechnology. And we can do this without leaving the house! All we have to do is invest in the companies that are doing great things. And we can share in the successes of America's greatest companies. That's capitalism at its best. It's worth fighting for.