INDEPENDENCE DAY 2015

 EACH YEAR THIS BLESSED COUNTRY CELEBRATES ITS BEGINNINGS; A TIME WHEN FREEDOM WAS MERELY A PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPT, A YEARNING THAT THE AVERAGE MAN OR WOMAN DREAMED ABOUT AND LONGED FOR IN HIS OR HER LIFE. THOSE WERE TIMES OF PRIVILAGE AND POSITION, NOBILITY AND COMMONESS; A TIME OF BEING TRAPPED FROM BIRTH. MEN AND WOMEN OF THAT ERA COULD NOT CONCEIVE IN THEIR WILDEST DREAMS THE OPPORTUNITIES AND LIBERTIES THAT WE NOW TAKE FOR GRANTED. LOOKING BACK, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE FREEDOM FROM TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION OF THE KING BUT IN FOCUSING ON THAT ONE ASPECT OF FREEDOM WE FAIL TO EXTEND OUR GRATIFULNESS FOR THE BROAD UMBRELLA OF FREEDOMS THAT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AFFORDED US.

CITIZENSHIP IS A UNIQUE PRIVILAGE EACH OF US HAS BECAUSE THE INSIGHT OUR FORE FATHERS HAD IN CRAFTING NOT ONLY A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THE CONSTITUTION BUT ALSO THE BILL OF RIGHTS. THE VERY IDEA THAT THE AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL COULD PARTICIPATE IN SELF GOVERNMENT WAS SEEN AS A FORM OF ANARCHY BY THE PRIVILAGED CLASSES OF THE MONARCHIAL SYSTEMS IN PLACE AT THE TIME. THE CONCEPT OF CITIZEN RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FLIES IN THE FACE OF POSITION, STATUS AND ROLES. ALMOST UNLIMITED RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL DEFINES HIS OR HER ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL STATUS AND NOT THEIR FAMILY’S NAME OR POSITION.

INDEPENDENCE HAS GRANTED THE AMERICAN CITIZEN GREAT FREEDOMS OF SPEECH, OF RELIGION, OF ASSEMBLY AND OTHER BEHAVIORS THAT IN 1776 WERE SEEN AS A PRODUCT OF RADICAL THOUGHT BY RADICAL MEN. ‘WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT’, A KEY PHRASE IN OUR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, IS A DECLARATION THAT THE COLLECTIVE PONDERING OF THE NATION’S CITIZENS IS TO BE VALUED HIGHER THAN THE STATUS QUO DOCTRINE OF THE MONARCHY AND THE FEUDAL SYSTEM. IT DECLARED ON A GRAND SCALE PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT, THE WORTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL OVER THE PRIVILAGES OF THE FEW. WE AS CITIZENS DERIVE OUR POWER AND BEING BY AGREEING TOGETHER THAT CORPORATE TRUTH AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS ARE SELF EVIDENT. THESE CONCEPTS OF TRUTH AND RIGHTS ARE NOT A CAPRICIOUS SET OF RULES ESTABLISHED TO PROMOTE AND PROMULGATE A CASTE SYSTEM BUT IDEAS FOR MEN AND WOMEN TO GUIDE THEIR LIVES AND INTERACTIONS WITH EACH OTHER.

INDEPENDENCE DAY, BOUGHT AND PAID FOR WITH THE SACRIFICES OF OUR CITIZEN SOLDIERS OVER THE YEARS, NOT ONLY FREES US FROM THE TYRANNY FROM OUR FELLOW MAN BUT IT FREES US TO LIVE RESPONSIBILY WITH OUR FELLOW MAN. IT GIVES US THE TOOLS TO GOVERN OURSELVES AND INVITES EACH OF US TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN THAT UNIQUE SYSTEM. INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH ITS COOKOUTS, PARADES AND FIREWORKS IS A DAY TO BE TRULY THANKFUL THAT THOUGH WE LIVE IN A NATION WITH PROBLEMS AND ISSUES, IT IS STILL A NATION THAT EACH PERSON IS ACCORDED UNALIENABLE, UNDENIALABLE RIGHTS FROM THEIR CREATOR. THESE RIGHTS OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ARE STILL AS PRECIOUS AND PRECARIOUS TODAY IN A WORLD THAT WOULD LIMIT TRUTH AND CREATE SOCIETIES OF HAVE AND HAVE NOTS. MAY WE NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THESE HARD EARNED RIGHTS BUT CELEBRATE THE GIFT OF LIVING IN THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE FREEDOMS STILL CHERISHED BY THOSE LIVING IN THE DARKNESS OF TYRANNY, OPPRESSION AND DOMINATION BY A FAVORED FEW.