What do we Celebrate on the 4th of July?
What do we celebrate on the 4th of July? If you ask this question to the average person on the street, you will likely get a response similar to “It’s America’s birthday” or “It’s Independence Day”. This seems to be the extent of most Americans knowledge of the 4th of July. This saddens me because the 4th of July is not only America’s birthday or Independence Day, but is so much more than that. What we are really celebrating on the 4th of July is how 56 men, representing the citizens of the United States, changed the course of human history by declaring that men are and should be free and that they have been given rights by their Creator that no king or government can take away.
This was a fairly radical concept in 1776. Up until this point in history (with only a few exceptions) rights were granted to a citizenry by their rulers. Those same rulers could also take away rights. The idea of men being free and having God given rights was totally foreign. This new concept meant that there were limits to government power and control. It meant that a man could shape his own destiny without worrying about the government or a king. A man no longer lived at the service of his king but at the service of himself and his Creator. Man was free.
The significance of what occurred on July 4th, 1776 has been forgotten by most Americans. Most of us eat hot dogs and hamburger and watch some fireworks, but we don’t understand exactly what we are celebrating. This is unfortunate and needs to change. Ben Franklin said, “This will be the best security for maintaining our liberties. A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins“. I believe Franklin was right. If people aren’t taught to understand and cherish our liberty and God given rights, we will slowly move towards tyranny. This has already been happening for generations. We need to educate people and I believe teaching people the true meaning of the 4th of July is a great place to start.
Our founders knew that government always seeks to grow in size and power- this is a historical fact. They also knew that as government grows larger, liberty and freedom grow smaller. The only way to keep government in check is to have an informed and knowledgeable citizenry.
The battle between liberty and tyranny is a battle for the mind. Liberty seeks to free the mind while tyranny seeks to enslave it. For Americans to remain free, we must educate our fellow citizens. This is the best way to defend our liberty. Let us celebrate and defend our liberty by honoring, remembering, and educating others about what really happened 234 years ago on a hot summer day in Philadelphia where 56 men took a stand against tyranny and said, “Men are free!”
The Declaration of Independence
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Posted by: Liberty
Comments (4)
jwruss
July 5th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Very good post! I believe that many Americans would choose a government of slavery that eased their woes far too easily.
Kast5
July 5th, 2010 at 10:24 am
WHO will teach the next generation? It should be someone passionate about our country and it’s purpose and history. It should be someone who sees the big picture and sees the danger when teachers depart from the truth of history. In fact, it should be you, because that is exactly what you do – you teach via your blog, and it’s good!!! For the sake of our country, I wish you could influence more of our citizens while they are planning their votes.
Liberty
July 6th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
I appreciate the compliment and I plan on teaching and educating anyone who will listen to me or read my blog, but I believe that we all need to do this to save and strengthen our Republic. I was listening to a Conservative Radio host today and to paraphrase him, he said, “Waiving a flag doesn’t truly show your patriotism. Telling others the story of how our country came to be and what our country stands for… that is showing patriotism!” I believe he was correct.
Harrison
July 7th, 2010 at 3:29 am
Less to celebrate now that Liberals are running the show. I’ll be happier when they’re out of power.
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