Freedom isn’t free
My mother is a direct descendant of James Hayward. A schoolteacher, he was one of the first Minutemen killed on April 19, 1775, in the battle for independence from England in Lexington, Mass. Mother was an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and in my family, Independence Day has always been a respectful day of honoring those who set us free and those who keep us free.
Independence Day celebrates the historic Declaration of Independence by the 13 American colonies on July 4, 1776. It was the beginning of the United States. The Revolutionary War was a hard-fought effort by untrained farmers and others against a formidable British army. Yet, the Americans prevailed. America has fought in many wars since.
This July Fourth, I am celebrating the freedom to enjoy a peaceful lunch with my husband on the tranquil shores of Lake Toho, but there is so much more. I hope Americans everywhere celebrate constitutional rights, voting rights, public education, religious choice, employment opportunity, and relatively safe shores of a beautiful country. These are precious things.
Mostly though, I’ll remember our forebears, soldiers and veterans who have paid the price for liberty. It’s very true: Freedom isn’t free. Donna Hoffman Narcoosee, Orlando Sentinel Editorial Advisory Board member