The Meaning of the Fourth of July
Dennis AuBuchon
July 02, 2009
The Fourth of July is a national holiday and it represents what our founding fathers went through in declaring independence. It was the beginning of a nation when the Declaration of Independence was signed by brave individuals who stood and declared we want to be free. One of the paragraphs makes the statement "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." It also makes the statement that we have certain rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Our forefathers took enormous risk in creating and signing the Declaration of Independence and the Fourth of July is a celebration of that action. We have come far in this country and there have been many changes not only in our country but the world. We are now more connected worldwide than ever before but we must not forget the sacrifices of the past and the present. While some may say that we should not get involved in other nations activities to some extent I agree. I do not agree however, that we should ignore situations which can have an impact on the security of our nation and the freedoms we enjoy. Whether certain situations have an impact on our security or safety as a country can be debated and has been. One thing that must be stated is troubles in foreign lands can have an impact on the stability and security we enjoy. There are those who want to do us, our way of life and those of our allies harm. The Declaration of Independence is not just a declaration of our will to have the freedoms we enjoy. The Declaration represents our resolve to not stand by and have our freedoms and way of life put in jeopardy.
Our founding fathers had certain principles and freedoms in mind when they created the Declaration of Independence and we should celebrate the fact that we still enjoy these freedoms today. This has not been easily achieved as there have been many battles fought to preserve the freedoms we enjoyed when our country began. We are a young nation compared to the rest of the world and as such the Fourth of July puts in perspective that we have the right to freely have such celebrations. The pride of a nation explodes on the Fourth of July but this pride should not wither during the rest of the year. The freedoms declared by the Declaration of Independence and those written into the Constitution are what make this country great. Our country is like no other in the world and the freedoms we enjoy should not be taken lightly. We should always honor those who have served and are serving our country so we might continue to enjoy the freedoms we have.
Sometimes actions that have been taken in the past were not looked upon favorably but those bent on attacking our principles and our way of life many times have underestimated our resolve. Our freedoms we enjoy are celebrated one day each year but our celebrations and the opportunities we have should be enjoyed and recognized that they were earned by the sacrifices of others. We currently have individuals who make the decision to defend the principles engrained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution through their service in our various military organizations.
The Fourth of July should not only be a celebration of our independence of over 200 years ago but also the recognition that freedom does not come free. It takes individuals who stand up for our right to live and the freedoms we enjoy to keep those freedoms in place. We have been attacked more than once in this country and those involved in those attacks found they stirred the resolve this nation had when we declared our independence. The sacrifices of the past are present today as many serve in foreign lands away from their families and friends. The sacrifices made are not only those serving but also the families who are separated from their loved ones and friends.
Today we face many problems in our economy and the world but the sacrifices made by those who have lost their lives pale in comparison. When our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence they put their lives on the line as the action could be have been considered treason. The action would have been if it had not been supported by the colonies at that time. Once the declaration was signed many people came together to make the promises in the declaration a reality. As stated in the beginning of this article we have certain rights on which this country was founded. These rights and the sacrifices of those who have brought us to this time in history are what we celebrate or should celebrate each Fourth of July and all year through.
Sometimes we get wrapped up in the fireworks displays and other activities on the Fourth but we must take time as individuals to understand the true meaning. The principles in the Declaration of Independence and those written into the Constitution are what this country is about. It is only right and fitting that we honor all military personnel at these celebrations and let them know we appreciate their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families. Let us celebrate and remember how we have the freedoms we enjoy. Those who protest certain issues must also understand that they earned that right through the sacrifices of others. We have a right to our opinions and can openly make that opinion known through multiple sources of opportunity. As we have seen in other countries this is not easily done if it is at all possible. I love our country and the freedoms we have and I am thankful that we have the capability to do what we choose if we only put forth the effort. Granted there are certain restrictions engrained in laws to avoid violating the rights of others but these should not be looked upon as violating the freedoms we have. They make them stronger in that there are protections against such things as libel and slander.
Our forefathers took enormous risk in creating and signing the Declaration of Independence and the Fourth of July is a celebration of that action. We have come far in this country and there have been many changes not only in our country but the world. We are now more connected worldwide than ever before but we must not forget the sacrifices of the past and the present. While some may say that we should not get involved in other nations activities to some extent I agree. I do not agree however, that we should ignore situations which can have an impact on the security of our nation and the freedoms we enjoy. Whether certain situations have an impact on our security or safety as a country can be debated and has been. One thing that must be stated is troubles in foreign lands can have an impact on the stability and security we enjoy. There are those who want to do us, our way of life and those of our allies harm. The Declaration of Independence is not just a declaration of our will to have the freedoms we enjoy. The Declaration represents our resolve to not stand by and have our freedoms and way of life put in jeopardy.
Our founding fathers had certain principles and freedoms in mind when they created the Declaration of Independence and we should celebrate the fact that we still enjoy these freedoms today. This has not been easily achieved as there have been many battles fought to preserve the freedoms we enjoyed when our country began. We are a young nation compared to the rest of the world and as such the Fourth of July puts in perspective that we have the right to freely have such celebrations. The pride of a nation explodes on the Fourth of July but this pride should not wither during the rest of the year. The freedoms declared by the Declaration of Independence and those written into the Constitution are what make this country great. Our country is like no other in the world and the freedoms we enjoy should not be taken lightly. We should always honor those who have served and are serving our country so we might continue to enjoy the freedoms we have.
Sometimes actions that have been taken in the past were not looked upon favorably but those bent on attacking our principles and our way of life many times have underestimated our resolve. Our freedoms we enjoy are celebrated one day each year but our celebrations and the opportunities we have should be enjoyed and recognized that they were earned by the sacrifices of others. We currently have individuals who make the decision to defend the principles engrained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution through their service in our various military organizations.
The Fourth of July should not only be a celebration of our independence of over 200 years ago but also the recognition that freedom does not come free. It takes individuals who stand up for our right to live and the freedoms we enjoy to keep those freedoms in place. We have been attacked more than once in this country and those involved in those attacks found they stirred the resolve this nation had when we declared our independence. The sacrifices of the past are present today as many serve in foreign lands away from their families and friends. The sacrifices made are not only those serving but also the families who are separated from their loved ones and friends.
Today we face many problems in our economy and the world but the sacrifices made by those who have lost their lives pale in comparison. When our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence they put their lives on the line as the action could be have been considered treason. The action would have been if it had not been supported by the colonies at that time. Once the declaration was signed many people came together to make the promises in the declaration a reality. As stated in the beginning of this article we have certain rights on which this country was founded. These rights and the sacrifices of those who have brought us to this time in history are what we celebrate or should celebrate each Fourth of July and all year through.
Sometimes we get wrapped up in the fireworks displays and other activities on the Fourth but we must take time as individuals to understand the true meaning. The principles in the Declaration of Independence and those written into the Constitution are what this country is about. It is only right and fitting that we honor all military personnel at these celebrations and let them know we appreciate their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families. Let us celebrate and remember how we have the freedoms we enjoy. Those who protest certain issues must also understand that they earned that right through the sacrifices of others. We have a right to our opinions and can openly make that opinion known through multiple sources of opportunity. As we have seen in other countries this is not easily done if it is at all possible. I love our country and the freedoms we have and I am thankful that we have the capability to do what we choose if we only put forth the effort. Granted there are certain restrictions engrained in laws to avoid violating the rights of others but these should not be looked upon as violating the freedoms we have. They make them stronger in that there are protections against such things as libel and slander.
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