HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 5:34pm

While sitting on the beach this afternoon, I began to realize how little recognition the real meaning of this holiday has. I had an American Flag planted in the sand beside my beach chair and my front lawn is festooned with red white and blue Christmas lights, but very little recognition is given to this holiday. Yes, there will be fireworks tonight, but will anyone stop to realize that these fireworks are an off-shoot of "the rockets' red glare"?

Folks, America was based on the premise of religious freedom, and the concept that "all men are created equal". We believe in "liberty and justice for all". Italy may have better art, France may have better architecture, Germany may have better beer. However, no other country has the freedom that we have here in the United States.

Take a minute today and recall what our forefathers signed in that Declaration of Independence. Also, remember those who perished on 9/11/2001. They lost their lives because what America stands for is hateful to repressive cultures.

We may not be perfect, but we're still the greatest country on earth.

God Bless America!

[shira467]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 5:34pm

Amen.

[The Grovers Corners Yenta]

Posted: 7/4/05 at 7:13pm

Well said. Too often American holidays become so commercialized that they lose their identity. More people immigrate to this country than any other in the world. And as the a person who has had family immigrate here from Hungary and Russia, I can say they came here to seek their freedom. America, after all is the land of opportunity. Yet, I often question how free we actually are. Child abuse is rampant in this country and I think about those children who are not free to play, to laugh and to be loved. Many Americans do not have access to health care and have to choose whether or not to pay for medication or rent or food on their table. I am proud to be a citizen of this country and would never want to live anywhere else. But, as we celebrate America's 229 th birthday, I think that we have a ways to go in order to be truly independent.

Updated On: 7/4/05 at 07:13 PM