Belated Independence Day

Rarely do I enjoy a weekend where I do not get online for one reason or another, this was one such weekend. Therefore, I decided to post my Independence Day post a couple days late.

To clarify for my fellow Americans, the holiday is not called "Fourth of July", that is the actual date, the official name is "Independence Day". Sometimes I think we forget the meaning of holidays and despite what others like The GW Bush Blog have to say, Independence Day is actually commemorating the day that the American colonies declared independence from Great Britain. That is not to say that we should not reflect on the sacrifices made by those fighting for our freedom, which should be a daily activity. However, what this holiday should remind Americans of is the fiercely unique and autonomous spirit of the group of individuals that joined together to rid our country of an authoritarian presence almost 230 years ago.

Historically we are not a people who like to be spoon feed. We are not a people who like to watch things happen, but not participate. We are not a people who ignore the rights of our fellow citizens. And we are not a people who leave others who are in need of assistance. We are a people, who have strong ideas, morals, and beliefs, but we are not a people who are afraid to stand up for those same ideas, morals and beliefs, nor are we afraid to make compromise with each other because of our respect for the rights of others.
We need to get off our butts, turn off those TV's, walk out of those high-priced department stores and get involved in our communities and the political process. Our government was not setup so we could all just sit on our thumbs and watch the world go by. On this and every Independence Day please reflect on why our founders acted the way that the acted some 230 years ago.


The Declaration of Indpendence

The U.S. Constitution