With the Fourth of July weekend almost over I want to honor generations of American heroes. I feel a sense of pride when I see our red, white and blue flag blowing in the wind or see pictures of my two sons in military uniform. They both served in the Marine Corps. Semper Fi.
How did the simple piece of red, white and blue fabric become a reminder to all of us that our country does matter in good times or in bad? Our country has gone through a great deal of change since last Fourth of July but one thing that has not changed is that we are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Maybe our justice system is not what it should be, but it is better than most.
The true meaning of the Fourth of July lies in the Declaration of Independence, which is the fundamental document of democracy. Our Declaration of Independence gives us the true meaning of a patriot, someone who supports our country’s ideals, not necessarily its government. Our Declaration says governments are artificial creations established by the people. They are not entitled to rights, powers or privileges except as provided for by the governed. If you see the current total mess in Washington you might get the impression that the government was in charge of everything and entitled to do anything it wants. The founding fathers saw things very differently and felt that governments derived their just powers from the consent of the governed and were charged by the people to insure the equal right of all to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The people are primary, not the institution of government. The current situation has totally reversed these ideals to the point that we as citizens are at the mercy of our own government. George Washington is rolling over in his grave.
Should we as a people welcome the expansion of government power at the expense of personal freedom and freedom from government interference in our daily lives? Should the government tell anyone where to educate their children, where to live, what hospital or doctor to see for health care or what medical care a person is entitled to. My answer is no, this is not the America that I grew up in. With all that said I love my country still and I honor those who have fought for my freedom to say what I feel, which is a precious gift. The gift of freedom is not for any government or leader to compromise. Freedom is not free, it is in fact a very expensive gift and the price tag was the lives of hundreds of thousands of young men and women who gave their lives for us and millions of others wounded in battle who suffered for years to give us the right to speak our minds.
This year as I celebrated the Fourth of July, I honored my father, my husband, my sons, my uncles, my friends and all the other veterans of military service. Veterans whose bodies have not yet been claimed by family members after their death. Veterans who are still in hospitals after many years of service, walking with canes or wheelchairs, holding up their heads proudly.
I honor those veterans of the D-Day landings who held their official commemorations on the beaches of Normandy on June 6th 2009 in memory of those who fell on those beaches 80 years ago as they prepared to disband their association.
As many others before and after me I too dedicate the words of the Star Spangled Banner to our Soldiers here and gone:
O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed, at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Here’s to freedom!
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