Let freedom ring across the land
It’s the Fourth of July. Independence Day. Americans’ most favorite patriotic holiday of the year. Hot dogs and cookouts and beer and brats and burgers — and in our locale, margaritas and pina coladas! Flags everywhere – on homes, on street lights, proudly flying from fourwheel drive truck beds – and little flags too, tucked into lawns by Realtors farming their various real estate turf.
And fireworks! Once fired into the sky to remember the experience of the “bombs bursting in air” – now we’ve got giant gargantuan fireworks shows essentially for “Fireworks Day.” Somewhat like “Turkey Day” and “Santa Claus Day” but with fire risk! From tiny sparklers to smoke bombs to the professional pyrotechnics – part of Independence Day has been lost to a secular celebration of bright lights, big bangs and, beer and burgers.
But way back in 1776 and the Revolutionary War, those bangs and blasts and fire and fury were real. The blood and guts and sacrifice and eternal pain were indeed the prices of freedom we now enjoy. These must be studied, remembered, and honored. Incredibly brave men and women defying what was then the greatest military power on Earth. And they pulled it off and here we are today!
We should understand that these same men and women were considered the traitors of their time. England surely thought them even terrorists, with their trickery and breach of battlefield norms. Folks from many lands had immigrated to the American continent fleeing religious, economic and social strife and upheaval. Some were enslaved and forced here against their will – and imagine being chained to the hull of a slave ship as merchandise for sale. Over all these, England ruled and we were her subjects and had to be subdued.
England had colonized the whole bunch of us who’d found our way here and we were hers by rights and laws. We’d stolen most of the American natives’ land, bought some of it, and the whole place and all its people were England’s.
That is, until we became revolutionaries and defied reigning power and law. Our founders were the bad guys of their time, and bad-ass brave to attempt what they attempted.
Through unimaginable courage, intrigue, ingenuity and resilience, brilliant and brave men established our independence and created what became indisputably the greatest nation on Earth.
“America: The Greatest Nation on Earth.” Let that sink in. We’re above all others. That became our history and it is our current heritage. And we’d better respect and honor and promote that remarkable mantle.
Let freedom ring! Grant all of us the fair and equal pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Let us live and reign in peace and prosperity with liberty and justice to all. And today, during all the rancor over immigration, let us remember the quote on our most important monument, the Statue of Liberty:
“America: The Greatest Nation on Earth.” Let that sink in. We’re above all others. That became our history and it is our current heritage. And we’d better respect and honor and promote that remarkable mantle.