Let me start by saying, happy Independence Day dear reader! The Fourth of July was a huge part of my childhood for many reasons. First and foremost, my parents are very patriotic. They taught me from early on that the generations before us were responsible for the freedom we, as United States citizens, so casually enjoy now.
I was encouraged to learn about our country's past, both the good and the bad. Tough conversations were not pushed aside.
The period in time that our founding fathers lived in allowed for many things that are (and were) morally repugnant. I remember how horrified and ashamed I was when I learned that many of the founding fathers were slave owners. I couldn't understand how men with such a forward-thinking vision for our country could have such a backward view on such an issue.
Through this discovery, I learned that even though the founding fathers were great men and had great vision, they were not perfect. They were flawed. They were human and made mistakes, personally, morally, and professionally. I learned that our collective past, ancestors, and country weren't always pretty or perfect.
However, the ideals that were presented by these men were indeed unique and ahead of their times.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." - Thomas Jefferson
And that, dear reader, is what we celebrate on Independence Day. The IDEALS on which our country was founded. The IDEALS in which we still believe. The IDEALS that keep us as a country both together and divided. The IDEALS in which we all, in our way strive to achieve.
What those men did had never been done before. Indeed, the words placed on that simple piece of paper, that those men declared in ink, were treasonous.
They were willing to put their lives on the line to declare, in one written voice, that the colonies should be free from British rule. Because make no mistake, if we hadn't won the Revolutionary War, they would have died a traitor's death.
We...solemnly publish and declare, that these colonies are and of a right ought to be free and independent states...and for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” - Thomas Jefferson
As it was, many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence lost their wealth, their homes, their loved ones, and their lives, even though Britain lost the war.
These men were land owners, lawyers, doctors, ministers, scientists, artists, and merchants. They were men of means and educated well at institutions such as Harvard and Yale. They were normal men who had an extraordinary vision of what our country could be and the courage to follow through.
This July 4, I invite us all to remember that while we may not agree with the politics or the morals of these men or like everything that they wrote or stood for they had vision and courage.
Those fifty-six men committed treason against the crown when they put their names on that paper with the hope that thousands would be free from British rule and have the opportunity to enjoy the freedom that we enjoy now. Let us not take that for granted.
As we celebrate this Independence Day with fireworks, hot dogs, and family, I hope we remember the courage and fortitude of all the people who came before us. I hope that we make a conscious effort to learn from our forebears past mistakes and to pursue the ideals that laid the foundation of our nation.
Would you have the courage to sign the Declaration of Independence?
0%Yes! I'm willing to risk it all for my ideals!
0%Nope on a rope. Cuz I don't want to risk hanging from one!
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