Reflecting on our freedoms
From coast to coast, Independence Day is celebrated with cookouts, fireworks and parties. Par for the course, some naysayers feel that prioritizing those things misses the point of the holiday. Not true. Sure, we could all make a better effort to remember the sacrifices of those who fought for our freedoms, but most Americans inherently understand that celebrating in our own ways is, in itself, a unique freedom.
Even the fact that we can openly celebrate who we are, and what we believe, in a local parade is a freedom that, in many countries, would never be tolerated.
In that spirit, here’s a look at some examples of the freedoms and rights we enjoy:
Bringing a road rage murderer to justice: By now, everyone is well aware of the horrendous murder of an 18-year old girl in Chester County, a victim of senseless road rage.
Truth is, such tragedies are commonplace in many countries, and are rarely investigated, let alone prosecuted.
But in America, our men and women in blue put on a full-court press — as they always do — to catch criminals, and our prosecutors go to the wall to hold them accountable.
This is not the exception, but the norm, because we value the rule of law above all else. Putting the killer away will never bring the victim back, but it will provide the family, and society, some level of solace that a lunatic is off the street, and who will pay severe consequences for snuffing out such a promising life.
It also sends the unmistakable message that criminals can run, but cannot hide.
Our justice system is not perfect, but it is, by far, the best in the world, making America one of the safest nations on earth — a freedom that cannot be underestimated.
Freedom to express ourselves: Americans have never expressed themselves more so than with the advent of social media.
Yes, some take it too far by demonizing those with whom they disagree, even people they once called friends.
Yet for the most part, people on both sides are respectful of one another, even when on opposite sides of an issue.
But what’s most important to remember is that, in most of the world, posting those very same comments would land us in jail, the gulag — or worse.
Holding elected officials accountable: It is a sad fact that too many elected officials have lost their way.
The most recent example was city District Attorney Seth Williams, as he pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
Making this case especially disappointing is that Williams, had he simply retained his moral compass to know right from wrong, had perhaps the most promising career of any politician in the state.
Yet he was simply not strong enough to resist the temptations of public office, succumbing to the dark side.
But on the broader point, kudos to the investigators and prosecutors who went to the wall to bring a case against a powerful politician who thought the law didn’t apply to him.
Fact is, in most countries, when one reaches that level, corruption is not just an accepted part of life but part of the ingrained culture.
The right to protest: For all its downsides, social media’s saving grace is that it has exponentially amplified our ability to protest — and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is the ability to protest without fear of getting whisked away in the middle of the night by the secret police.
Criticizing elected officials: Bravo to those who exercised their right to hold elected officials accountable by criticizing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for arrogantly lounging on a state beach closed due to a budget impasse.
If he doesn’t care anymore about doing the right thing, then he should resign immediately, but to display such a flippant attitude makes him look more pathetic than ever.
Christie, on a bridge to nowhere, will have a whale of a time resuscitating his image. Just goes to show that in America, no one is too big to fall, even someone with as large an ego as Chris Christie’s.
Happy Independence Week!