“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” – John Adams (in a letter to his wife, Abigail)
What are we really celebrating under the fireworks and pageantry of July 4th in America? Some say it’s freedom. Others will tell you it’s a celebration of our uniquely brief history. Tangled within that history are heroic actions of countless Americans as well as a few rather embarrassing “growing pains.” Take a look at the textbook definition of July 4th and it’s easy to see why it’s called Independence Day. It’s the day that the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and four other founding fathers, was officially accepted. The separation of the Thirteen Colonies from the Kingdom of Great Britain actually occurred on July 2, 1776, but the great national celebration has and forever will be held on July 4th.
So, again…..what is it that we are really celebrating during this “great anniversary festival” as John Adams so eloquently put it in the quote above? Quite simply put, we’re celebrating America. We’re celebrating the fact that this great land truly is worth fighting for. We’re celebrating the fact that no other nation on earth, no matter the span of their history, has accomplished so much in such a short period of time. We’re celebrating the fact that no other nation on earth, regardless of tenure, can claim as brilliant a governmental structure as America can. We are most certainly celebrating our freedom, but it’s not the freedom from England that President Adams spoke of. It’s the freedom within the borders of America that we celebrate. It’s the freedom to question the brilliance of our government when questioning is required that we celebrate. It’s the power to demand change based on the answers we are given that gives us cause for celebration.
Our freedom gives us the uniquely American ability to publicly question laws with which we do not agree but we celebrate the fact that as Americans we do so within the framework of a magnificently conceived system of government. When the freedom of one man is limited by the actions of another, we as Americans defend the victim. That’s the basis of America and it is that great responsibility that we celebrate with colorful fireworks, delicious barbecue, and baseball. What we do not celebrate is the abundance of “willing victims” present in our great country today. We do not celebrate the fact that “victim” has become a full time career for many of those around us. We celebrate our freedom, but we also celebrate our ability to grant freedom to so many who are currently imprisoned by a system that should never have gained such power.
This 4th of July, take some time to consider how far we have come in the exercise of true freedom. Consider the sacrifices made to deliver the America we have today and consider the brilliance that went into designing our unique system of government. The frustration we often feel is directed at men within the government, not the government itself. To celebrate American Independence on July 4th does not require birth within her borders. In fact, an argument could be made that those who struggled to obtain the freedoms offered within America’s diverse geography have a much deeper appreciation for the freedoms many of us take for granted. The men and women who fought for our original freedom from an oppressive Kingdom mired in antiquated systems of governance knew exactly what they were celebrating in the first July 4th Festivals. Do we? Are we celebrating the same kind of freedom those brave men cherished as they watched “the bombs bursting in air?” No. We are not.
Tomorrow, when you hear His Barackness giving a well rehearsed, well written speech designed to tug at the heartstrings of an exhausted nation, ask yourself honestly…..”does this man really represent the freedom” you are celebrating with your family? Does Barack Hussein Obama, despite the appearance of patriotism, care about tradition, history, and exceptionalism of the country Thomas Jefferson heroically declared “independent” two-hundred-thirty-six years ago? Only the most blindly loyal Obamanite would be able to answer yes to that question without an uncomfortable gurgle in the pit of their stomach. To that end, I ask you to consider the fact that while the fight may not involve muskets, cannons, militias, or caissons its outcome is no less important. We are fighting, once again, for our independence.
Make no mistake that the reelection of Barack Hussein Obama will be the modern day equivalent of losing the Revolutionary War. That’s not hyperbole. That’s not right-wing fear tactics, or uninformed exaggeration…..that’s fact. The country designed by the brave men celebrating the first July 4th festivities never anticipated the blatant manipulation of its inherent wisdom by a man adhering not to his patriotic duties but instead to an ideology completely foreign to them. Think about that as you watch fireworks explode against the night sky tomorrow night. Think about the America Barack Obama celebrates. Is it the one that our founding fathers envisioned?
Do you think George Washington would have signed a wildly unpopular law into effect against the wishes of the public, then manipulated its description to the Supreme Court, then publicly contradicted the ruling of that court to win political points? No. He would not have. That is NOT the system we celebrate on this day. That is the oppressor from which we now fight to free ourselves. That is the opponent, folks. The very people who have corrupted, infected, ruined, and stolen from a system designed to govern the greatest nation on earth. That’s both sides of the aisle. Enough time has been wasted; enough energy has been invested in the highly speculative task of properly assigning blame. It’s not important. What is important is the identification and seizure of opportunities in our future.
It’s time to get mad. It’s time to stand up and demand the return of American glory to the world. We owe it to the very ground beneath our feet to celebrate our independence tomorrow. So, the question remains; what is it that Barack Obama is celebrating tomorrow? He can’t be celebrating the founding principles of the United States of America because he has actively pursued devastation to such notions since his glorious ascension. Our celebration tomorrow should be emotionally similar to the months leading up to July 4, 1776. Tomorrow should be a day of celebration only if we are sincerely willing to stare down the barrel of every trick, deception, manipulation, distraction, and pathetic groveling between now and November 6th.
Celebrate tomorrow brothers and sisters. Celebrate the fact that you live in a country who, when faced with destruction has always found a way to recover. That’s exactly what we’ll do in November. We will begin the road to recovery. In the early 1930’s, the New Deal brought about an end to the misery of the Great Depression. Men and women went back to work with a common, unifying purpose. Projects were designed with the notion of endurance. Pride in American exceptionalism was not kept hidden. Is not a secretive notion discussed only in the safety of home and family. It was public. It was a common voice. It was a collective voice telling America as a whole to “get up and fight.”
Ladies and gentlemen; we’ve arrived at that glorious threshold once more. It’s time once again for fireworks to mean something. It’s time once again to stand tall as Americans. We will not give into the sadistic whims of a man more loyal to twisted ideology than preservation of greatness. We will not bow before a man who would actively seek the absence of Christ. We will not seek the approval of a man whose allegiance is to himself over all else. We will not abandon our principles in exchange for more unfulfilled promises and twisted logic. Celebrate your independence tomorrow, Americans. Celebrate it and then go retrieve it! United we stand.
As always, thanks for playing.
J Robert Giles
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