Independence Day
here is a lot of discussion lately over just how much the Fourth of July really means anymore. I'm not sure many can even remember that properly it's called "Independence Day" for a reason. Some people would say that we're just a bunch of squaters, the leftover dregs other countries wouldn't tolerate. Some people would say that Independence and the subsequent freedoms of the Unites States were bought at the cost of too much in comparrison to what we've gained. If any of that is true then I guess maybe I'm just living in my own little world and in denial.
The fact is, most of our forefathers came to the United States seeking freedom of some sort or other, freedom that they were denied by other countries. It may have been the religious freedom to worship as they chose, the freedom to excell and make a better life for themselves, or the freedom from the tyranny of an opressive government, it was the search for freedom that brought them. To them the price was worth the sacrifices they made along the way.
Tony Blair once said,"the measure of a country to its people is in how many of them want to leave it." I would agree with Tony. As much as all of us complain about gasoline prices, war, or the cost of living, the United States is still a better place to live than most. I would also submit that the measure of a country's worth is also in its success as a nation. I don't know many who would argue that the US has been successful.
Comparatively speaking, the US is still a young country. Historically speaking if a country hasn't lasted at least a thousand years we can't really count it as having "survived" as have China, and most of the European and Asian countries. However, we also have to remember that the US' population is made up of people from all these countries who brought their knowledge and wisdom with them. Together they built what is argueably the best country in the world today by combining their skills and abilities. Although they also brought their prejudices and their biases with them, somehow they managed to learn to work together and overcome those negatives perhaps more than most of the other "older" countries.
The United States is neither a Utopia nor is it Hell, but certainly somewhere in between. Right now it's still the best game in town. Perhaps one day, like so many long dead civilizations, the US will simply sink into the depths of history… remembered only in its ruins. Until that day, here's to a proud country and all its people past and present who have fought and died for the freedoms we all enjoy. Here's to a country that has triumphed time and again against all odds to become the great country it is today.
Happy Birthday America!!