Independence Day

I am a lover of history, especially American colonial history...As we near the anniversary of the signing of, what I consider to be, the greatest single document ever penned by a government, I can't help feeling a little sad as well...I have read and re-read the accounts of the Patriots of old. I know their struggles. I know their heartache. I know their sacrifice...But it is a head and heart knowledge. It's not a knowledge through experience. I haven't lived the bondage of a dictatorial king. I haven't known war in my own backyard. The men and women who lived these experiences KNEW what life without freedom and liberty truly was...Their blood, sweat, and tears paved the way to the vast wealth and ease of life we all know today. Without their sacrifice, we would just be another possession of Britain struggling to get along. That, however, is NOT what we became. The United States, realistically, penned that sacred document for ALL mankind...Without the United States, many nations would still be at war today. Our "peace through power" mentality, that was so aptly named by President Reagan, has provided many peaceful nights of sleep for many people and nations that would have otherwise not known peace or freedom. Without the protecting hand of Providence, Israel would not have been recognized as a State in 1948 and would have been wiped off the map many years ago by Muslim extremists, if it had not been for the protection of the U.S. These are but a few examples of the the peace and prosperity our nation has been able to spread, all because the people united and decided that we were going to have freedom or a fight.

Do you ever wonder why July 4, 1776 is known as our Independence Day?...After all, we weren't truly free. We were still technically a possession of Britain. It wasn't until the Treaty of Paris, September 3, 1783 that Britain finally recognized the thirteen colonies as an independent nation. It's because their minds were already made up. As far as they were concerned, they were free from the moment the Declaration was penned...And they were right!...Even though there were battles and struggles and wars ahead, they were FREE. None were going to take it from them. Their courage, strength, honor, and character are still revered today.

My sadness today is because of apathy...True, our Founding Fathers would be very disappointed about many changes that have been made and the many incorrect "interpretations" of the Constitution they helped pen, but their greatest disappointment would be that the people allowed it to happen. Can't you just imagine the mortification if they knew we were allowing abortions to be performed, and calling it a "constitutional right"...The people in the United States live under the same blanket of freedom that the Founding Fathers and so many other people sacrificed and died for. The sad truth is that many people just don't care. You could ask many today about current affairs in government and they would have no clue about what was going on. An announcement could be made today that Russia, China, or some other nation was invading and were going to take over, and many would say, "Oh well"...That is very dis-heartening. Many people today have no concept of what life without freedom and liberty is like. They need not look far to find out. Just ask some of those immigrants from the former Soviet Union or any number of other oppressive regimes. They will tell you the horror stories of what it is like to live under those conditions. I'm also very alarmed at some of our executive and legislative officials, and judicial activists who are chipping away at our freedom. Many of our elected officials are some of the most corrupt people our nation has ever known. They seek to change this country into something that it wasn't designed to be, all while padding their pockets with taxpayer money. This is exactly what the Founding Fathers were trying to prevent. They laid the foundation with the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. All we have to do is follow it. If our current crop of leaders aren't stopped fairly quickly, we will soon be in our own oppressive regime. Our own president has gone to foreign countries and basically apologized for the freedom that we have provided not only for ourselves, but for many other countries as well...

I, however, refuse to focus on the negative side of our great nation for the rest of this weekend. I love my country. I love what we stand for. The United States is, rightfully so, recognized as the nation having the greatest freedom and liberty of any on earth. We have these freedoms today because many before us bought it. They bought it with their blood. There may come a day in the future that we, once again, have to fight to keep this nation free. I'm confident there will be Patriots who stand up to save her.

My message is this: Stay informed. Stay current. Know what is going on in our nation and in the world. Love our country...Love it or leave it. Stand up for freedom and don't apologize for it...Stand with me and say to all who will listen: I, too, agree with our Founders. All men ARE created equal. They ARE endowed with certain unalienable rights. And among these rights ARE life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...I will continue to pursue my happiness by standing up for this country and everything our Founding Fathers stood for. Won't you join me?...

God Bless Us All and May God Bless America...