Spirit of '76

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day!!! Enjoy the 4th and all the celebrations.

One of the thoughts I often have about the founding fathers of the United States of America is the stark difference those remarkable people seem from anyone that's any type of face of our Government today - and not just today but for decades. Maybe it's just a flaw in my perception - but I'd have a hard time being convinced of that. In my youth, I had a heavy interest in politics, but as I've grown older, not so much. To quote Dylan from My Back Pages, "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now. " (Ed: previously quoted on 2/10/06) Nonetheless, I keep up just enough these days to render my assertion.

Even on Independence Day, how much thought do we actually give these men after all of our American History, Social Studies, and Civics classes are finished? The conviction of these founding Americans against the British Parliament for taxation without representation and subsequently against their king for not taking action on their behalf, as well as their adamant republicanism, in what, at the time, was still a new world full of wilderness and the unknown, is well worth remembering, and not just today. So also is the belief that most patriots had in their interpretation of the Bible that all men were created free with certain undeniable rights, and those rights were being suppressed by England at the time. The fact that they held these rights and convictions so dear that they had the strength of will and belief in God that they could bare the burden of a war with Britian and win it, with Britian's renowned power at the time...

... do we, as a nation, resemble these people at all today? Should we?

Whether we do and/or whether we should or not, Independence Day, in my book, goes hand-in-hand with Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, for that matter, as days most of us should be thankful that there are many people more courageous, more deeply-principled, more sacrificial, and more noble than we are.

If you get a chance, re-read (or read) the Declaration of Independence and (scan... because it'll take some time) the Constitution. They are truly amazing documents and even more amazing acts.

Have a tremendous 4th of July!