What is it? Wikipedia says, “Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States of America.”
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Our founding fathers fought the British to give us freedom from tyrannical rule. They fought against taxation without representation. They fought for religious freedom, but most importantly, they fought to establish a new nation.
Our founders never sought fortune for themselves. Instead, they literally wagered their fortune to create a new nation.
A new nation whose President, eighty-seven years later, would pen these famous words, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal……that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
These, of course, are excerpts from President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery on November 19, 1863.
What have we done with the independence and freedom our founders fought so hard for?
What have we done with the “new birth of freedom” President Lincoln alludes to in his Gettysburg Address?
It’s been one hundred and sixty years since President Lincoln reminded us of the fragility of our Nation.
Have we cherished that gift, have we nurtured it, preserved it, and treasured it, or have we taken it for granted?
Have our political leaders dedicated themselves to serving the people as our founders intended, or do they only serve themselves?
Do we the people, embody the words, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”?
Have we lived up to those words, or do we consider them outdated?
Do we love and appreciate our country, our independence, our freedom, and our flag, or are we ashamed of our nation?
Yes, our country is not and never will be, perfect.
So today, as we celebrate our two hundred and forty-seventh Independence Day, let us all take a moment to ponder the following quote:
“A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.” – Tony Blair
Happy Birthday America, and God Bless you,
Michael Petruzziello
Major, USMC (Ret)
