A Few Thoughts on Independence Day

dashed off without revision

random photo of beauty by me

I remember one Independence Day, or rather night, when my uncles shot off gorgeous color-soaked fireworks into the velvety country sky, us kids looking skyward with our mouths open in awe and ear-splitting shrieks, if one could have actually heard them. We sat back near the house where errant fireworks couldn’t reach us because our family was responsible and watched out for us kids. We had enjoyed a day of barbeque and deserts and our bellies were as full as our knowledge that we lived in the best country on the planet.

A few years ago I did a bit of genealogy research into my maternal lineage and discovered that two of my great grandfathers (I never remember how many “greats’ it is) fought in the Revolutionary War. I was thrilled to learn this bit of history. I was able to discover one was buried in Pisgah Forest in Transylvania County, North Carolina. The oldest marked tombstone is his.

I also learned my Scottish 7th great grandfather fought against the British Crown as a Covenanter - fought for the right of religious freedom. For this, he was captured and beheaded with 8 others in Glasgow Square. His infant son grew up and immigrated to America.

The world is often a brutal and dangerous place. Peoples, tribes, and countries have fought each other, invaded each other's lands, enslaved each other, sold each other, killed each other, and committed other atrocities since the beginning. I don’t know of a country in this world that has escaped violence. There is no perfect country.

But America comes close. We are the people that fled the tyrants and trauma of other countries. We fought against a Kingdom and won. We have never had a king and do not have one now. (We aren’t that gullible, slogan-makers.) We will never be ruled by any political party or politician. We are the country that can criticize the government, even call for death (!) without fear. We can call each other ugly names, demonize the other side, and no one will stop us. In recent years, our freedom of speech has been monitored, manipulated, and strangled into a thing to benefit political parties, not the people. But we have survived turbulent times and will again.

We’ve forgotten the ideals and sacrifice that created America.

Try to remember.

Happy Independence Day. 🇺🇸