On this 4th of July, we celebrate our 229th anniversary of our independence from tyranny. Over the years, many have fled to this country because they admired our way of life, our freedoms, and our opportunities to live, work, and pray free.
But, on this anniversary, I am led to wonder how many of those freedom virtues we still possess. We have sent most of our jobs to the very countries that people have fled from; those who live in this country can no longer afford our standard of living, meaning that we now have the largest homeless and hunger problem of any developed nation. People are regularly condemned in their beliefs that either differ from Judo-Christianity, or do not subscribe to the one God, one religion theory that is sweeping the nation.
The 4th of July is not a time to give thanksgiving, nor is it a time to thank our veterans or soldiers-in-arms for a job well done. It is a time to take an introspective look at the condition of our nation and how it currently relates to the wishes of our founding fathers.
Based on the partisan bickering of our lawmakers, the governments interference in everything from farm subsidies, to tobacco prices, the fact that we permit, as citizens, our leaders to tell us what they are going to do, as opposed to what our real wish’s are, I can say without fear of correction that we are a long way from Independence Hall.
America is also just about the only country where a mans sexual activities labels him a liability, but his business practices, no matter how shady, allows him the freedom to make poor decisions for millions of people while filling the wallets of himself and his cronies.
Our founding fathers wouldn’t recognize this country. And they certainly would not be treated with the respect that they would deserve. Someone, in a tabloid, would expose Franklin for his dalliances. Washington would be accused of hiding something behind those wooden teeth, and Jefferson, would be strung up for his multi-racial sexual preferences. And all of them would be hounded by their views, to a man on no religious involvement with government. After all, that was what drove them to seek freedom here to begin with. They did not intend to allow the mistakes of their homelands to occur again.
And so, I end this holiday greeting a tad less upbeat then I came in. It would be nice, that next year, on our 230th anniversary, if I will be able to reflect on a brighter, more hopeful, less hate filled…America. But, I’m already turning blue….holding my breath.
God Help America!