Celebrating Independence

This past weekend we celebrated America’s 245th birthday. For some, this meant having a three day weekend, barbecues, and family gatherings. For others, it meant road trips and camping, setting off or watching 4th of July fireworks, parades, and festivities. It has been all of those things for me at one point or another, but this year there was something in my heart and soul that wanted me to look back and remember why we celebrate this specific holiday.

According to the History Extra website, “In July of 1776, during the second year of the American Revolutionary War, representatives from the 13 North American colonies of Great Britain voted to declare themselves independent from the crown, fo rming the United States of America. Two days later, on July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and each year since, Americans have celebrated the holiday.”In 1941, it became a federally observed holiday.

It gave us the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. While I understand it didn’t give all people those rights because it excluded slaves at the time, without the Declaration of Independence, there’s the possibility we would still be under British rule, taxes and tyranny. This document, and the reason we celebrate our independence today, wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the past, for our history.

In recent years, it seems there are those who would like to erase our history because they don’t agree with it now. I’m sorry, you don’t have to agree with the past for it to be true. It’s already happened, and it can’t be changed. The only thing that can be changed is the future, and holding people today accountable for things families, religious beliefs, nationalities or countries did in the past is a ridiculous notion, unless of course those individuals are still continuing with some sort of atrocity.

While we might not like some of the events of the past or the tactics and ways people were treated, it’s all of those things that have brought us to where we are today.

In my opinion, one of the best ways to honor the past and those who fought for our freedoms is to remember it and not repeat it. We have a responsibility to stand up for what is right, for what is just and for what matters. But if we keep erasing our history, there won’t be anything to remember, or celebrate.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the people of today who are somehow tied to the events of the past through family, race, country and so on, are not the same people who caused the atrocities of the past. They are not responsible for what happened to your family decades or even centuries ago. Not all white people had slaves in the past, and not all German’s persecuted the Jews. Not all straight people condemn those who are not, and not all religious people are good, or bad.

My family suffered at the hands of Hitler and some of the Germans. I don’t hate Germans now or expect restitution from anyone for it. I can’t imagine living in those times , or what any of those people endured. I also never want to see anything like that ever happen again.

We still have slavery in the U.S. Nowadays it can be referred to as “human trafficking.” We still have people and countries that want to destroy the United States and all of her freedoms. They are called terrorists. We still have abuse of power in the United States. In my opinion, these are politicians on both sides of the political arena.

And, we are now more divided as a nation than we have ever been.

I feel like the 4th of July brings us together, at least for a day.

Sadly, the only thing that seems to bring Americans together in solidarity is a national crisis or attack on us as a whole. I hope it doesn’t come to either of those things again. The last time I really remember the nation coming together as a whole was during 9/11. There was no you or me, it was us versus them. By the way, “them” are still out there. They are waiting for just the right time, when we are alone, weak and vulnerable to attack us again.

But this past weekend, we did come together. There were more people celebrating than I remember from years past in Lincoln. The parade seemed longer than I remember, with more people and organizations participating in it.

For me, the Fourth can be summed up in one word: freedom.

Ask yourself what it means to you, and I invite you to remember and reflect on the real reasons we celebrate the holiday, and look into the past for yourself.