APPRECIATING OUR FREEDOMS

                                               FIRE WORKS ON THE 4TH OF JULY

            Just this week we have celebrated one of our biggest holidays, the 4^th of July. Amid the parades, ball games, picnics and fire works, how many of us have taken the time to stop and think of why we celebrate July 4^th? I’m going to give you a short history lesson.

            Unrest was prevalent in the colonies in 1776. The people were upset as Great Britain kept trying to make them follow more rules and pay higher taxes. These colonists no longer wanted Great Britain to be able to tell them what to do, they wanted their independence.

            In 1776 Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and appointed a committee to write a formal document that would tell Great Britain that the Americans had decided to govern themselves. They wanted the citizens of the United States to have a document that spelled out what was important to our leaders and citizens so they committee asked Thomas Jefferson to write a draft of the document. Jefferson worked on this assignment in secret for days. On June 28, 1776, the committee met and read Jefferson’s paper. They made some changes and declared their independence on July 2, 1776. This was officially adopted on July 4, 1776. That is the reason July 4^th is called “Independence Day.”

            The Declaration of Independence is more than just a piece of paper signed by men.  It is a symbol of our country’s independence and commitment to certain ideas. The people who signed the Declaration of Independence could have been hung for treason by the leaders in Great Britain.

The Constitution was written in 1787 and amended in 1791 to include the Bill of Rights. Some of the items in this were adopted from the English Bill of Rights.

So every July 4^th we should think about all the effort and ideas that went into the writing of these documents and about the courage it took for these signers to stand up for what they knew was right – Independence.

How many of us appreciate the freedoms we enjoy because of what these men risked their lives for so many years ago?

As I just recently drove over to Jackson, Wyoming, I thought of countries where travel is restricted. Going across the state line into Wyoming, there wasn’t a gate or a guard checking my credentials, making sure it was legal for me to cross that border. Not all countries have that kind of freedom. WE DO!

When I read the letters to the editor in the newspaper, I realize how blessed we are to be able to publically voice our opinions, even criticize our government officials, without the fear of being severely punished, even executed. Not all countries have that kind of freedom. WE DO!

I don’t always agree with our elected officials, but I appreciate the fact that I have the freedom to vote for whichever ones I feel will do the best job. Because I take that opportunity to vote, I feel free to voice my opinion on how those elected are doing their jobs. Not all countries give their people the opportunity to vote. WE DO!

I have the freedom to worship as I choose. I have the right to bear arms, I the right to a fair trial with a jury when accused of a crime. Not all countries have those privileges and freedoms. But WE DO!

Let’s all of us take time, not just on July 4^th but every day, to appreciate what this wonderful country has to offer us. Maybe we should quit complaining so much and become more involved in order for us to maintain our freedoms and independence.