it’s july 4th. that means a time of celebration. we celebrate our independence from great brittan. we celebrate liberty and the pursuit of happiness. we celebrate the freedom to do as we choose as individual citizens. the declaration of independence was voted on by the continental congress on july 2, 1776 and was presented to the nation on july 4th. on july 3, 1776 john adams wrote to his wife abigal

“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the
History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by
succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to
be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion
to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with
Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one
End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.“

the celebration of Independence became the 4th because that was the day it was presented to the nation rather than the day it was voted on by congress. but what is it actually that we celebrate?

i am a member of a group that re-enacts the revolutionary war. i portray a fusilier from the 23rd regiment of foote – the royal welch fusiliers. this is a british regiment. since doing this, i have seen the other side of the story. the americans claimed they wanted seperartion from tyranny when in reality there was no tyranny. there were simply a few taxes imposed by the crown to finance the protection that great brittan was providing for the colonies. there were english troops present in north america in order to protect the english claim. they were protecting against other nationals trying to claim america as their own. these taxes were in no way tyranny. in the world today we see several examples of tyranny that in no way compare to what the early americans faced.

but the idea of Independence and liberty is truly an amazing concept. the early americans dreamed of a nation where they decided their own issues, not under the umbrella of a country on the other side of the world.

for me, july 4th is a celebration of ideals. as current americans, we can not claim to be the best in the world. we have poverty, violence and hatred running rampant among us. but the ideals of america, the freedom to pursue the life we choose is paramount. the declaration of independence contains the concepts of what a true democracy is. everyone is created equal. everyone has rights. even though we may not live up to this ideal even today, the issue is at the core of who we are as a nation.

when we set off our fireworks, we remember the turmoil of the american revolution. we remember the blood that was shed in order to have liberty. we also remember what it takes to to have a voice that may not be in the status quo. even though we may not have been under tyranny, we fought to have a voice. every voice counts. in the everyday living of our lives, do we live up to this ideal. do we value every voice we hear, or do we try to silence those who speak against us?

we have the freedom to speak our minds. we have the freedom to gather as worshipful communities. let us strive to continue to give a voice to those whose voice is quieted. it is not about nationalism, it is about our voices being raised. we may or not be the greatest nation on earth, but we all have a voice to be heard.

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