A dear friend and brother, Gil Salinas sent me a message earlier today saying “Happy 4th of July and all that it stands for.” The message got me thinking, “What does the 4th of July really stand for?” I know what it means to me, and I began to wonder what it means to all of you, my friends and family, and to the people across this great nation. Just then the phone rang and broke my reverie. It was my wife Karen calling and she asked, “Are you gonna write something about the 4th of July and what you believe in your heart it really means to our country?” I grinned and thought, “OK Lord, you don’t have to hit me over the head. I’ll get right on it.” So I thank you Gilbert for the inspiration, and I thank you beloved wife for being my muse.
Independence Day means so much more than a day off from work, parades, cookouts, fireworks and flags. It feels to me the true meaning of this day has been lost in reverie, ritual, and the fact that a significant portion of our fellow Americans embrace sadly limited & superficial views of what it means to be patriotic; polarized by politics and entrenched in rhetoric.
The spirit of America and the true meaning of the 4th of July is found in these impassioned and inspirational words written in the Declaration of Independence: “…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…”
I also find great meaning in the inscription written at the base of one of our iconic monuments, the Statue of Liberty, which reads as follows; “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”
The words of The Declaration and at the base of Lady Liberty are simple and straightforward; written and spoken from the heart. And at the heart is where we should meet to appropriately celebrate the 4th of July.
As true patriots, I believe we should all embrace these words exactly as they were written, and apply them to our neighbors as vigorously as we do for ourselves. I believe as true patriots we should not evade, dismiss, spin or pervert these words into ideological/political rhetoric to be used to gain advantage, perpetuate iniquity, or secure our comfort zones. I believe as true patriots we need to walk these words out and not rest until all people receive justice and are treated equitably; with kindness, benevolence, and respect. Especially the tired, poor, huddled masses, and the “wretched refuse” who yearn to breathe free.
I love the United States of America. I feel blessed to have been born here and be able to enjoy the privileges & freedoms afforded us as citizens. I also realize as a citizen of this nation much has been given to me, to all of us, and with these rights comes the great responsibility to exercise them with empathy, love, generosity, and wisdom.
Independence Day to me means we have to be vigilant and afford all people the rights of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” “endowed by our Creator”, as outlined in our Declaration, which we honor and celebrate today.
Life With Love 