
When you have your family, particularly your children together, take the time to read the Declaration of Independence and then a few extra moments to talk about it. Since most of our public schools and our media ignore this document and focus on fireworks, we must remember that the Declaration is the lifeblood of our foundation and was the basis for the long struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds to create the nation that we now call home.
And also take the time to think about the sacrifice that those great patriots made for us. Many of them lost their riches, their positions in the community , and often their families and their homes. They did so because they were no longer willing to live under the rule of a King who did not respect them or treat them as citizens. They risked everything they had, including their lives, to secure liberty from tyranny, and in so doing they gave us the very freedom that we were born with. It is important for all Americans to understand this, for I fear that we have become lazy and unwilling to do the heavy lifting to maintain that freedom. Once it's lost, it's nearly impossible to regain.
I pray, America, that we all will come to the realization that this special land, created under God, the best place on earth, is rapidly slipping away from our grasp, and I also hope and pray that we will unite together to insure that we do not succumb to tyranny. Freedom is what America is supposed to be about; freedom with individual responsibility, not a nanny state which isn't interested in or entitled to determine our fate.
So enjoy the Fourth and celebrate, but also remember that we must learn from the past in order to secure our future. God bless and save the United States of America. Happy Birthday, America.