Forget the barbecues and fireworks. The Fourth of July is America's holy day. It was on 4 July 1776 in Philadelphia when the Second Continental Congress ratified Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. Seven years later America's independence was essentially realized with General George Washington's historic victory over the British army at Yorktown, Virginia. Tyranny had been defeated.
Many Americans gave their lives in the great war for Independence. To keep us free so "that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among theses are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness," many more Americans gave the supreme sacrifice during the Civil War, the two World Wars, and the wars continuing to this very day. In other words, liberty does not grow on trees. It must be preserved from time to time in war, with the bravery and sacrifice of many soldiers, sailors, and airmen who loved this country and valued are way of life, which is unlike any other on the face of God's earth.
This is why our history is so important. It must be taught to our kids and reinforced by our elected officials. Yes, it's fun for family get-togethers, barbecues and fireworks on the Fourth. But in order for us to truly enjoy our liberty, we must never forget that freedom is never free, and that it was because millions of Americans fought with extreme heroism and sacrifice. Today, perhaps more than ever, "with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." If we do not "hold these Truths to be self-evident," our freedoms may be in jeopardy of losing. We owe it to future generations of Americans that this will never happen.
God bless America!
[Note: Quotations taken directly from the text of the Declaration of Independence.]
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