Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” Interestingly enough this letter was written on September 11, 1773. Sometimes coindicidences span centuries.
When those who signed the Declaration of Independence, what were they thinking? Surely they could not see all the successes and failures of what they set in motion. What they did know was that there is no such thing as security, especially in an ever-changing world. Two hundred and thirty-five years later we celebrate this declaration and seldom do we truly understand all the ramifications of living free.
It is not doing whatever you want.
It is knowing that compromising your life for a sense of security is a fool's bargain. It is becoming a slave to the very thing you hope will make you safe. You cannot be free and be secure at the same time...not unless that security is born of knowing there is something much bigger than what we see as our world and much more safe than any man-made armor or fortress can ever be.
Faith in oneself born of a greater faith in the truth and the Truth beyond is the only thing that can make us free. We must defend against complacency and guard against smugness. Liberty, justice and the American way is not just a motto that Superman fought under. Liberty, justice and the American way is what unites us and gives us hope.
I am flying my flag today as are many of my neighbors. I may not agree with the politics of others, but that does not mean I have the only answer. That is what makes America great; that we can agree to disagree and defend each other's rights to hold the truths we find 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." And happiness is not always light and fancy-free, but it comes with knowing that we are among the most forunate peoples in the world to live as we do and speak as we do and be secure and free while practicing personal responsibility for the land we call home.
Many bombs have burst in air yet our flag is still there. Give thanks.
Have a happy and safe Independence Day.
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