Weekend Roundup...
Straight away, I want to "lift" a chunk from last year's post regarding this nations's INDEPENDENCE DAY (not to be confused with the movie with the same title, which has little to do with breaking from England, and everything to do with box office receipts): So here goes...
(( Independence Day was originally supposed to be the 2nd of July, but with ANY group of politicians, there was some bickering, and things were pushed back to the 4th. Good for us, because somehow yelling "Put out the flag...It's the SECOND OF JULY", doesn't quite roll off the tongue all that well. Must be the monosyllabic aspect of the word FOURTH.
Anyway, John Adams might have been a great rabble-rouser, and an excellent statesmen, but he wasn't all that up to speed when it came to timelines and calendar dates. he even wrote his wife saying the Declaration of Independence would be completed on the 2nd. Lucky for everyone concerned it wasn't, eh?
Now this is one of the most important days in THIS nation, make no mistake about that. And to me it was always right up there with MEMORIAL DAY and VETERAN"S DAY. To my Dad it was the "big three", and it was one days such as this when we'd pack up and take a drive to some local AIR SHOW, or go downtown to watch a parade. Seemed we used to do a LOT more of them back in the 1960s.
It was all about PATRIOTISM.
And that's something (too many) Americans have lost touch with.
Wanting what is best for this nation and her people constitutes part of patriotism.
The willingness to make a sacrifice FOR this nation is another aspect to patriotism.
The selfless devotion to this nation in good times as well as bad is another hallmark of patriotism.
It can be as simple as flying our flag, or it be as profound as losing a son or daughter in another country while KNOWING that the life they gave was for the cause of what this nation was founded upon in the first place...namely FREEDOM and LIBERTY.
But maybe we're too busy setting off fireworks to notice all that. After all, that's not as "exciting".
Liberty and freedom can most times be downright BORING, but they are BUILDING BLOCKS of this country, and the reasons YOU can set those fireworks off in the first place. They are the reasons you can say "NO" when someone else says "YES".
Today was the first milestone in this nation's journey, and I feel that there are many more along our trek along history's road. And like any sojourn, sometimes it's nice to pull the car over and take a gander of that spectacular view that doesn't cost a red cent. maybe we all need to do that a bit more frequently..just so we don't forget. ))
That's my story...and I'm sticking to it!
Now, if any of you readers would like the skinny on this, our most precious patriotic holiday, look no further than HERE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(United_States)
I would be remiss not to mention what OUR Independence Day is NOT, so here goes...
--It is NOT a day to act like a fool. Too many patriots (past and present) have sacrificed much (and some all) so you COULD act like a dumbass the OTHER 364 days, so give it a rest for 24 hours, kapeesh?
--It is NOT a day to annoy others with YOUR inability to act in a RESPONSIBLE manner when handling fireworks. Face it, there ARE people out there that cannot properly raise a PET...or a CHILD, so what makes them believe they can handle something like pyrotechnic ordnance, anyway?
-- It is NOT a day to IGNORE the significance of WHO WE ARE, as a nation. Rather, it's a time to understand the importance of this country in the eyes of oppressed people throughout the globe who LOOK TO US as a model of FREEDOM and LIBERTY.
--It is NOT a day to denigrate our nations foremost symbol...our FLAG. We should fly it proudly, and show proper decorum and dignity towards it. And we should above all come to know the representative aspects OF our flag.
(Google it up and learn, if you need to).
The 4th of July IS a day akin to Memorial Day...or Veteran's Day. it's a day to reflect, remember, celebrate and acknowledge those who breathed life into this fledgling country, turning it into a bastion of FREEDOM for anyone and everyone willing to make a go of it.
--To all our troops both here and overseas...may the 4th find all of you safe from harm, and safe in the knowledge that what you do, by your service, will NOT go unnoticed. (and enjoy your pizzas, people)
--To the firefighters of this nation...may this holiday keep all of you safe from harm, as you place your lives in danger that others may live.
--To all the police and law-enforcement officers of our nation...may you all find the strength to do the extraordinary under conditions many of us can never imagine. As you protect our cites and town, remember that YOU are as important as the signers of our founding documents. It is every one of YOU that carries out the laws that have been laid down, to ensure that every citizen can feel safe. You task is probably the most daunting of anyone else who lives IN America, but we have faith that you CAN rise to the occasion, and that you WILL be victorious in whatever situation arises.
And finally, to all of you out there in the "ether", may this holiday find you all in good cheer, knowing that THIS nation, ONE nation, under GOD is still the best nation in the entire world. What we, as a people stand for, in the end...is what so many can only WISH for.
We ARE blessed, and with our combined and continued diligence, and fortitude, we CAN come out of any situation, no matter how severe, with a pride unsurpassed by ANYONE ELSE on this planet.
This is YOUR nation...YOUR independence, and YOUR freedom.
Have a marvelous Fourth of July, and don't forget...
Stay safe out there, America.