The Fourth of July

By Lee Parker

Sunday is the celebration of the birth of our country. It is "Independence Day". It is a celebration of the day that the course of humankind was altered in hopes that man was able to rule himself. It was the day that forged the right of self-rule on the hearts of Americans for centuries to come. It is a day that deserves contemplation as well as joy, happiness and merriment.

In contemplating the Forth of July, I began by asking myself the definition of "independence". Independence is synonymous with "freedom". So, what is "freedom?" Well, "freedom" is "liberty."

And "liberty" is the power to choose how one will live one's life.

So, Sunday is the official day of celebration that recognizes your right, my right to self determination.

However, we should celebrate our independence and liberty every day. Liberty is worthy of daily gratitude to our Creator, who inspired our Founding Fathers to stand and die for this right. Independence IS the foundation of everything truly American.

My fear is that many Americans have become disassociated with the concepts which are celebrated on this monumental day. We have gone to sleep when it comes to protecting and preserving our right to be free. We have become the enemies of freedom!

We have allowed our elected servants to become our masters and reduce us to the position of chattel.

We fail to stand against the evils of servitude and instead glorify our lack of fortitude.

We justify our lack of resolve with myriad defenses.

However, the time is coming when the Spirit of 1776 will live again! The time is coming when Americans will reject the bonds of socialistic servitude in favor of independence and freedom. When the pain of servitude becomes sufficiently excruciating and people again value the right to be free, then we will fight the beast that devours our individuality and creativity. We WILL fight to restore our country of the people, by the people, and for the people.

When the time comes, we will reclaim our rightful role as masters of our destinies and demand freedom from the government that has become an abomination through the use of terrorist tactics against its own people. It is then that we will purge ourselves of an insatiable, gluttonous government that cares nothing for those who have granted it life.

The time is coming when history will repeat itself and we will fight for the right to be free.

We will fight because, like our Founding Fathers, it is better to die free than to live as slaves. We will fight because the words "independence" and "liberty" are more than just concepts. They have become a way of life!