The Glorious Fourth !! A great day to contemplate the words from long ago, when men had the courage to openly declare their independence from tyranny. Today our political leaders use weasel words to avoid the hard truths that might lead to a loss in popularity. In 1776, the men who signed that Declaration faced the possibility of slow cruel execution if their call for freedom went unheeded, and they used words clear and bold. Take a little time today between the barbecue and the beer to think about what that Declaration has meant down through the years. This was a new nation so suspicious of the powers of government that the people soon demanded a Bill of Rights to help guarantee their continued freedom. Do you know all 10 amendments in that Bill? That 2nd amendment was important to them to help ensure the freedoms in the other nine. They were all important then, and they are all important now. We can thank those men of long ago for the courage to show us the way. Do we still have the courage to follow?
Splendid Alagator. My family shall read aloud the Declaration of Independence today. What a great idea to found a country grounded in sound rational thinking- moral and workable. maddoxgl
In that spirit... One birthday, when I was nine or ten, I woke with anticipation of the presents I would receive. Still in my pajamas I rushed into the kitchen where my parents were having coffee, expecting to get the loot which was rightfully mine. My father happily handed over a small, wrapped box. I opened it eagerly, to find a little American flag on a wooden stick. My father said that since my birthday was July 4th, he thought I would appreciate the gift. Horror-struck first at not getting anything better, then a moment later at my own greed, I guiltily told my parents that I thought it was a fine gift. After a moment, of course, my folks brought out my real presents, and there was a fair amount of good-natured teasing and laughing about the little trick they had played on me. That was almost 40 years ago, and I can no longer tell you what presents I received that day. But the lesson in expectations and perspective my dad taught me that morning always remained with me. My dad had been a Marine, fought in Korea, and was a deeply patriotic cop who was killed while on duty a couple of years after that birthday. I have no idea what happened to that little flag on a stick, but I do still have the flag taken from my father’s coffin, carefully and perfectly folded at the graveside when we buried him. I’ve never looked at the American flag without remembering what a fine gift it really is, and, as so many others have written, what it represents in terms of sacrifice. I love my country, as any Firecracker Baby is probably destined to do. You just can’t ignore all that early training of patriotism, fireworks, and presents all tied up together. But that doesn’t mean that I am blinded by patriotism. As I’ve matured and gained life experience, I’ve learned many other lessons. Lessons about tempering expectations, living with occasional disappointment, accepting that things don’t always work out the way you plan no matter how hard you work, how good your intentions, or how deserving you are. Still, you learn, grow, and do the best you can. This, it seems, is also the story of America. I believe we are an exceptional people, holding great potential, with our best years still to come. But nothing is guaranteed. We must honestly, and sometimes painfully, confront our failures, learn from them, and move on. The original founders of our country were brilliant, but flawed as all humans are flawed. Some of their errors led directly to the Civil War, that great bloody second revolution of the human spirit. That they made mistakes does not negate their greatness; rather, it shows us our potential even though we are not perfect. They knew, as we should know, that only we are responsible for our self-determination. Not a king, not a God, not a ruling political class. Us. Today we’ve been gifted with a small box with a flag inside. A token of our history. Let us not take it for granted. Let us not think that the thing itself is more important than what it represents. Let us look on it and declare our own responsibility, our own self-determination. Happy Independence Day. 7
born on the 4th of july excellent essay. all americans today should reflect on the basic fundamentals of our republic and awaken to the need for a return to our roots.
