I took a walk today in the evening to get some fresh air and gain some perspective into this day we celebrate, Independence Day. More than being a great movie it has a great amount of significance to the American people. We are not the first to celebrate independence, nor are we the last. One of the greatest stories of a people gaining independence and one which is celebrated still is the exodus of the House of Israel from the bondage in Egypt. They were brought out by miraculous means and set out on a 40 year long journey and faced many difficulties and even battles to reach the promised land of milk and honey. It is interesting to note that they don't celebrate the end of the journey, but the beginning of it, Passover. Of course I realize that there were events leading up to Passover including many great miracles, but that was the signature event which signified deliverance.
We too celebrate the signature event of our country's independence, which was none other than the declaration of independence on the 4th of July, 1776. The British didn't just hand over the country to us and say, "Sorry for all the fuss, Cheerio and all that." Truly that declaration was the official beginning of our country's struggle to rid ourselves from the tyranny of another nation. We don't celebrate the battle of Saratoga, which is considered to be the turning point of the war, nor do we really care about the creation of the Constitution more than a decade later even though it was the first of its kind and truly forged the colonies into a nation. No, we celebrate the beginning, when it was decided to go all out in the name of freedom. If the war had gone another way, this day would probably be a footnote in the history books, a minor occurrence and a curiosity for maybe a few people, but never a day that changed the flow of history forever.
Despite its great significance to us and our entertaining tradition of using explosives to celebrate the occasion, do we really remember the point of the whole endeavor? When those men set forth on the journey to achieve freedom, which is widely considered to be the epitome of human existence, they did not do so lightly. There was no illusion in their minds that they were putting the safety of themselves and their families and thousands of others on the line for a chance at a better future life. They put everything they held dear on the line for this concept of liberty and thanks to that devotion of an alarmingly small number of people, we now enjoy life as we know it in our country. Many other people decided to revolt against tyranny in their part of the world and enjoy better lives now because of it. There is an inherent problem that occurs with the passage of time after such events. People begin to forget just how precious this future is. It happened with the Israelites in their journey as well; they would always take for granted what they had and forget how they got there in the first place. They complained that life was difficult, that things were not to their liking at all times. They forgot, and they suffered time and time again for their negligence. They didn't forget the day, they forgot the lesson of that day. What is the lesson?
I would say that the lesson of any story to gain freedom comes with two fundamental lessons: One, that freedom is a very precious thing, and two, it comes at a great cost and with responsibility. Most expect this concept of freedom to carry us forward until the end of days without us ever having to maintain it, but just as with any mode of transportation, it requires maintenance and care. We are like a rich kid who was given a new Ferrari (or whatever car you like that costs a fortune). Of course this kid is happy with it, but he has no idea how much of a struggle it was for his family, for the company and generations before to make that vehicle possible. He doesn't remember the sacrifices of the past in order to give it to him, he only enjoys and if he were smart he would take the time and effort to maintain its quality so that generations after might enjoy it as well. Unfortunately as we see in our society, that probably won't happen. I hate to compare our nation's independence to a car, but I feel as though the point of the analogy is valid. We enjoy that which we truly don't understand and most are too complacent to bother maintaining it.
I shouldn't be too critical of the populace however, there are many who have sacrificed much for the maintenance of our freedom and do appreciate its importance in a way that the rest can never truly understand without going through that experience as well. Soldiers are the ones most pointed to as the protectors of freedom, but their efforts are ultimately meaningless if it wasn't for those within our borders who strive constantly to protect the ideals of freedom from tyranny and complacency. Of course these efforts are just as meaningless without the protection that our military affords us. These are those who deserve our appreciation, any who works at maintaining and protecting our freedom.
I suppose I should get to some kind of point eventually and goodness knows that this is long enough already. My point and hope is not to point fingers of blame, but that we may think a little more about this independence we enjoy. It’s not perfect, just as people are not perfect, but it’s a million times better than what could have been. I just hope that we will appreciate it more, do more to live up to it and try to gain a better understanding of the sacrifices made by our ancestors to bring this country into existence.
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Originally Posted by MistWolf
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