Happy 4th of July!
This day, July 4th is the day when in the year 1776, we declared our independence from the domination of a mighty foreign power that existed across the sea, a foreign power that sought to control us, dominate us and subjugate us to their will, their values and ideals and their form of government. A government that was under an authoritarian ruler who held absolute power.
The document signed that day was titled, “The Declaration of Independence,” and the day upon which it was signed was known from that date forward by us as, “Independence Day.”
As a result of that document, we then fought a terrible and bloody war, “The War of Independence,” to throw off the shackles chained to us by what was at that time the mightiest empire on earth.
And undertaking a precarious gamble, and ultimately at a great cost, we prevailed.
I have a special tie to that war as my direct ancestor, Asa Emerson was a Minuteman who fought at the Battle of Lexington and Concord from the beginning of the Revolutionary War, all the way to the surrender by General Cornwallis to General George Washington at Yorktown to end the conflict, and there we gained our independence.
We were then free to pursue our “grand experiment,” to create the freest and fairest form of government that has ever existed in the history of mankind.
Was it perfect? No, but it was damned close. But the brilliant minds of the Founding Fathers that conceived this fledgling “representative democratic republic” had the foresight to build the system through the doctrine of our constitution. The ability driven by the spirit, will, and voice of “We, The People,” the tools to continually preserve and improve the ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Their wisdom, knowledge of history, foresight and understanding of the nature of man and the nature of power gave them the inspiration and goal to create another document, a charter that besides the Holy Bible, is one of the most near-perfect documents ever written – known as “The Constitution of the United States of America.”
So yes, this day, the 4th of July is a day to celebrate, a day to congregate, to enjoy friends and family, drink beer, barbecue brats, and as always, light off fireworks.
It's a day that deserves a celebration of our ideals of God, country and family, and a day to celebrate and honor our patriotism to the valiant and sacred ideals that have made this country the truly great nation that it has become.
But we are now up against another mighty power from across the sea that is doing everything it can to bring our “representative democracy” and our way of life to the ground. Although not obvious to most, we are now in another “war for independence”- a quiet war- one in which many of us have unwittingly aided the very enemy that is striving to bring us down.
So to truly celebrate the real meaning and legacy of Independence Day this 4th of July, I urge you to become a modern soldier in this new war for independence. Be a true patriot and do everything in your power to protect and preserve our “grand experiment.”
How do you do this? I urge you to “Buy American,” support American-made companies, buy from companies that are 100% made in America, help to bring back American industry and manufacturing to our shores. Yes, there still are companies that are “Made in America,” and they, all of them need your support and your patriotism in letting them know you are behind their efforts.
If you truly value our independence, you will do your part and the will of the American soul and the ideals of freedom, liberty and the foundational spirit of rugged American individualism will prevail once again.
This is the real way we should celebrate this day, the 4th of July by making every day in every way a celebration of American independence.
