edensgarden's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Independence Day Thanks I just want to say that I love the 4th of July, and not just because it's my birthday. Every year I am reminded of the wonderful land that I live in, and the wonderful blessings of freedom that I enjoy. The four most important principles are those found in the beginning of the Declaration of Indpendence. First, all men ( and we will include women in this ) are created equal. Some people might not feel this way or belive that it is true, but it is. I lived the former Communist country of Bulgaria for a few years and I saw inequality there first hand. People of Roma, or Gypsy, and Turkish descent were accorded the status of animals. I routinely witnessed discrimination, harassment and torture of these people. In this counrty, we are not yet to the point of perfection where equality is concerned, but any person whose civil rights have been violated has recourse. Many people have spilled their blood and given their lives in pursuit of equality. As I said, we are not perfect yet but we as Americans work to see the cause of equality furthered. The second truth desribed in the Declaration is that,"...all men are endowed by their Creator, with certian unalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness." What does this mean? To endow means to grant or give power to. The fact that this endowment comes from a Higer source is also of note. I belive in God, I belive that he created me, and that I am his child. I also belive that he wants me to be happy, this is part of his plan for me on this earth. An essential part of happiness is Liberty. In this country we have to right to say what we want without fear of retribition, we have the right to associate with whom ever we please and we have the right not to fear our government. Where there is Liberty there will always be happiness! The effects of the third principle of the Declaration were revolutionary in 1776, and can still be seen today. The Founding Fathers held the belief that government's are instituted by men to assure Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. In the 1700s kings ruled by divine right, and their law was supreme. Opposition to this concept is what fueled our Revolution, inspired the French, and brought down the Berlin Wall. A government of the people, must protect its citizens, for in protecting them, and their rights, it preserves itself. The fourth and final principle of the Declaration is tied to the third, and it is, that when or if the government instituted by the poeple becomes unjust, the people have the right to change or abolish said government. This is evident in the fact that the United States of America had had the longest record of peaceful transfer of power in the world. In many countries leaders fear for their lives, and must hide from the very people they serve. We are also blessed in fact that we enjoy relative peace in this country. There has not be war in this country since 1865, when Lee surrendered to the Union forces at Appomatox Courthouse. As I prepare to celebrate my own birth, I will celebrate the birth of my nation. I am thankful to live in the United States of America, it is not a perfect place, and the ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence have not been fully realized, but we as Americans have the ability and the resources to keep this dream alive. Francis Scott Key, the author of "Star Spangled Banner" said it best about our nation, "Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand between their loved homes and war's desolation! Blest victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: 'In God is our Trust.' And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave, o're the land of the free, and the home of the Brave!" HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! 10:48 a.m. - 2001-07-03 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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