There is a lot of talk about fireworks and hot dogs and parades on the 4th of July... but there is a deeper meaning and much of it has been forgotten or pushed to the back burner.
Today is Independence Day!
We are celebrating the 232nd Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Despite military actions actually starting in 1775, in 1776, we declared our independence from Great Britain. That wouldn't be cemeted until the finish of the War of 1812, although the hostilities died down from 1789 to 1812...
But, the point is that we fough our Revolutionary War for 14 years... and then had a reprise 23 years later to fight again for a few years.
But now...
There are a few things to keep in mind as we enjoy our Independence Day.
- Would the American Society today be able to accept the hardships and pain of birthing our nation as it did 230+ years ago? Or have we become a bunch of wimps unwilling to stand for what we want?
- At no point during our War of Independence were there a majority of citizens that were in favor of the revolution... until it was all but a done deal (everyone wants to join a winner)... and yet, the men that hatched this plan and launched this great country were LEADERS. They didn't follow the polls and see what the voters might think.
- Would the current crop of politicians have the guts to stand up against the polls to do what they think is right? Could they take a wildly unpopular stand to press for freedom?
On my LaneBailey.com blog today, I reprinted the Declaration of Independence. I also listed all of the signers, and linked to their Wiki Biographies. And there is a link to the Snopes article about the signers and the actual hardships they may or may not have endured.
And finally...
As we wander into election season, take a moment to read the Declaration of Independence... and the US Constitution. Look at the political rivals. See who stands up to the ideals of our Forefathers. If you find yourself with a little time, you might also want to check out Alexis de Tocqueville and his book Democracy in America.
Tocqueville speculates on the future of democracy in the United States, discussing possible threats to democracy and possible dangers of democracy. These include his belief that democracy has a tendency to degenerate into "soft despotism" as well as the risk of developing a tyranny of the majority. .
The bold is mine. This is a quote derived from the Wikipedia entry linked earlier.
Enjoy this most important day!
Unless otherwise noted, all content of this blog is the property of Lane Bailey, ©2012 Lane Bailey.
I'd love to hear from you...
Lane - I'll visit the links. I believe you have a firm grasp on where we've been, are going, and could be. I like that head on your shoulders, seems to belong to a very rational mind.
*pistachio* is the graphic, but we aren't nuts;-)
Jason - Thank you very much. And I don't know that many would describe me as rational... Oddly, mine was *almond*