Independence

An American Tradition

Happy 4th of July!

What is independence? Why do we celebrate July 4th? Exactly what we are celebrating?

Independence – consider what it means to us as Americans. Think about it. Consider what it meant on that first 4th of July. Consider what it meant to the founders of this, the greatest-ever country. For far too long, too many of us have taken America’s freedoms for granted. We have been willfully blind to its detractors. Do good things continue to be good indefinitely without conscious effort? The battles fought for America’s independence were long and bloody and hard, logically unlikely to succeed. But succeed they did. America’s founders prayed for guidance; they prayed to be led by God; they prayed for a Godly nation. They planned, they listened, they strove. They followed where God led.

Consider what it meant for these men to pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. What is honor? When we say the Pledge of Allegiance today, do we realize that a pledge is a solemn, binding promise to take action, to sacrifice something we value for something we value more? These were not young men, average age 45. Their pledge meant sacrifice, and sacrifice they did. Some sacrificed their fortunes, some their honor, some their lives.

What Does the Pledge Mean?

Liberty and justice for all. All men are created equal. Are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness God-given rights? Is this the generation that freedom becomes extinct? Have we Americans become so lazy and complacent that we won’t stand up for the future of our children, our grandchildren, our country, even our world? America is still the world’s “last best hope”. And this generation, every generation, must continue to stand firm on the exceptional foundation provided by our founding fathers. Maybe today we can relate better to time, money, and courage than to ‘lives, fortunes, and sacred honor’. Time – being informed and sharing information with others, volunteering, contacting your Representatives and Senators. Money – so important, so needed, but not a replacement for time or courage. Courage – stand up, speak out; be a witness for patriotism as you are for God. What do you pledge when you pledge allegiance? You are a patriot!

Texas specific - One of my very favorite reads is Texas Minute, the weekday email from Texas Scorecard. The Friday’s Reflection article by Michael Quinn Sullivan, ‘On Being Independent’ is worth sharing.

Despite the name, the document really was not so much a “declaration” of independence as it was a recognition of independence. Our Founding Fathers were merely expressing in the legal and moral language of the day what was the current reality in the world around them. The American people were no longer subjects of the king.

I’ve told this story before, so forgive the repetition, but it is important to understand what the Americans believed in the 1770s.

Levi Preston was a minuteman at the Battle of Concord in 1775. Many years later, he was asked why he had fought the British. The interviewer clearly expected him to wax eloquent about oppressive British rule, to deride the stamp tax and the tea tax, and sprinkle in quotes from the writings of philosopher John Locke.

He said none of that. You can almost hear the exasperation. “Well, then,” asked the interviewer, “why did you fight?”

To this day, Preston’s answer takes my breath away: “Young man, what we meant in going for those redcoats was this: We always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to and they meant that we shouldn’t.” Read the full article.

Click here for this amazing (video) story, ‘Overcoming Life’s Odds with Scott Hamilton‘.

Do you know? Which one state has never sent a woman to Congress? You may be surprised by the answer.

Until next time…

Please share your thoughts in the comments. Or email me, and let’s have a problem-solving conversation. I welcome ‘letters to the editor’ type emails and may publish yours. I hope we can create a caucus with positive, back-to-the-founders’-dream-for-America results.

Some housekeeping…

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Thanks again for reading! I’m glad you’re here!

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