The Meandering Mind
Making a Difference: A series of thoughts and reflections on living a life of purpose.
As we approach another celebration of American Independence, I think it would be appropriate to include patriotic people as a category of those who make a difference.
We regularly remember our founders every Fourth of July. It is appropriate that we should learn about them and remember our history. They literally risked life and limb to establish the freedoms we so often take for granted. Having been born and raised in our wonderful country, I grew up hearing about our founding patriots. Yet I never experienced laying it all on the line to support a new idea.
I have to remind myself that what I take for granted in our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence had never been tried before. Never! Think about that. Those who signed their own death warrants when putting their names on the Declaration were in the minority.
Historians tell us that about a third of the colonists wanted to separate from England. Another third was fiercely loyal to the King of England. The final third mostly were uninformed and just wanted to be left alone.
The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence put their name to that document, which ended with these words, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Ever since that time, there have been men and women who sacrificed to gain and maintain our liberty. Many are doing that right now in the military, law enforcement and the many other professions I have named in past columns. Unknown persons, performing little-known acts of planned or random patriotism, continue to maintain and uphold the values that formed America.
On Saturday, June 18, I attended a concert of our wonderful Lima Area Concert Band. It was a tribute to the music of John Phillip Sousa, who worked as an apprentice in the U.S. Marine Corps Band at the ripe old age of 13. At 25, he became the youngest conductor of that band.
The first item on the program was the StarSpangled Banner. Not only did everyone stand — no kneelers in that crowd — but the singing was strong and robust by every voice. The concert concluded with Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Although not required by society’s etiquette, everyone sprang to their feet and enthusiastically clapped throughout the song.
Note: “Sprang to their feet” is probably an exaggeration, since most of the crowd at the Lima Civic Center was over 60. Nevertheless, we managed to stand, albeit slower than when we were young and spry.
Local city council meetings begin with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Local schools do the same. Ditto for Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, veterans groups, etc. Every parade and football game features VFW or American Legion Honor Guards presenting the colors of our flag. My friends in large cities and those on the left coast are amazed at the Christian and patriotic demonstrations that are common around here.
These religious and patriotic moments, planned or spontaneous, are more than merely symbolic. They reflect the deeply held conviction that we stand for something meaningful and important. We are reminded that liberty is precious and fragile and our faith is very important.
When Ben Franklin emerged from the hotly debated sessions that formed our founding documents, he was asked, “What do we have?” He responded, “We have a Republic, if we can keep it!”
Keeping our republic goes way beyond our patriotic moments. It requires the moments, hours, days, weeks, months and years of commitment and conviction to “keep it.” Every one of you does your part as you live your life, raise your family, work your job, pay your taxes, (yes, even that), and stand to honor your flag.
Happy 4th of July.