Although many call it "The Fourth of July" my preference is for "Independence Day." That more precisely gives the reason for the holiday, which is more than hot dogs, fireworks and a day off.
Two hundred and thirty-five years ago, the signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Many of them indeed gave the first two, their lives and their fortunes, in the herculean effort to wrest the fledgling United States of America from the yoke of the oppressive government of Britain's King George.
To me it's fitting to remember them and their hopes for their new country. And it's also fitting, I think, for us to pledge a renewed belief in their principles of a free people without the fettering of an overly restrictive government - a republic of the people, by the people, and for the people. In this country, the people are at the top of the organization chart - not the President, the Congress, or the Supreme Court. Independence day should commemorate those ground-breaking ideas, and also give us pause to remember that it's our responsibility now to insure that our star-spangled banner will always wave as a symbol of freedom.
Hope you all have a terrific holiday. Be careful out there!
John
Two hundred and thirty-five years ago, the signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Many of them indeed gave the first two, their lives and their fortunes, in the herculean effort to wrest the fledgling United States of America from the yoke of the oppressive government of Britain's King George.
To me it's fitting to remember them and their hopes for their new country. And it's also fitting, I think, for us to pledge a renewed belief in their principles of a free people without the fettering of an overly restrictive government - a republic of the people, by the people, and for the people. In this country, the people are at the top of the organization chart - not the President, the Congress, or the Supreme Court. Independence day should commemorate those ground-breaking ideas, and also give us pause to remember that it's our responsibility now to insure that our star-spangled banner will always wave as a symbol of freedom.
Hope you all have a terrific holiday. Be careful out there!
John
