Saturday is July 4th - Independence Day. Like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, is the true meaning of Independence Day becoming lost? I'm concerned that it is.
Ask most kids about the holiday and they will define it as the day when we set off fireworks, eat lots of food, and the parents have the day off from work. Mention something about Independence Day, Britain, Declaration of Independence, or revolution and they stare at you oddly.
Anybody can Google the history so there is no need to go into it here, but I hope we not only read about but we share the history with our children and others.
No doubt that America has had its dark days of internal issues, and it continues to struggle with some issues. But a nation that prides itself on individuals rights And freedoms cannot be expected to be perfect. These rights and freedoms allow for our country to have a very diverse population; we cannot be expected to agree on everything. Compromise takes time but we should always have hope that one day we'll reach an agreement.
I realize many political issues these days divide us and leave many of us feeling ostracized within our population - this can make patriotism a difficult attribute to attain. However, even with all of our faults, it is my opinion that this country continues to provide the best opportunity to effect change in how it is governed.
So tomorrow take the time to educate your kids, your family, your friends, and especially yourself about why we have this grand celebration in July!
(iphone post)
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