Independence Day

Celebrating Independence Day on the Fourth of July normally includes getting together with family and friends, having a nice meal and watching fireworks. The fireworks remind us that in the beginning days and years of our country, those flashes of light in the night sky were actual shells and bombs exploding. This independence that we celebrate today was not easily won. We have watched in the last couple of weeks how the people of Iran made a stand against the heavy hand of their own government, and were gradually beaten down into submission. Even though their cause may have been a just one, I don't think they wanted freedom bad enough to really go for it. I didn't see any strong leaders; there was a desire, but no plan laid out to replace their repressive government. They only used stones and slogans to combat the guns and clubs that were wielded against them. They were doomed to fail.
Our own fight for independence was a different story. Even though the idea of declaring independence was not overwhelmingly popular, our leaders felt strongly enough to forge ahead. They knew that under British rule our country would never accomplish all that we were capable of. Up to that point all of our efforts had gone to enrich an oppressive power thousands of miles away, who didn't really care that much about America's welfare. Imagine what the drafting and sending of that declaration of independence must have entailed. The colonists knew that as soon as the declaration was delivered, there would be an immediate and terrible response. It was, in effect, a declaration of war, and there was a good chance that they would not prevail against the strongest military power in the world. But the resolve was there, we won the war, and the rest is history.
My view is that there is a type of oppression that is being waged against us right now. Our elected representatives no longer look out for our well-being. Special interests and politicians are treading on our rights, and the time is coming that we must stand up and be counted. But, we don't have to go to war to make it happen. Our first leaders put into play peaceful means for us to insure that our rights are honored. All we need is a small amount of the resolve that our founding fathers showed when our nation was first born over two centuries ago. It is called the vote, and we can do away with unjust leaders without having to shed a drop of blood. God Bless America!