Fourth of July

The Fourth of July in the United States has always been a time of families, picnics, fireworks, reminders of how this country was begun, for what it has stood. It is a time citizens remember how lucky we are to live here. The land to which we or our ancestors came was one of abundant natural resources. It has given its people many gifts.

Much of what I find valuable-- our freedom, our desire to help others, our concern that every child has an opportunity to get an education-- has been increasingly threatened by the rise to power of those who see everything in terms of how much money it can make. It's rather sad really but there it is.

Fortunately for me, I was born into an era where the middle class has had benefits very few earlier generations had known. It is something we should not take for granted. Do we value the life we have known enough to stand up for it? Are we the first generation in this land that would trade liberty for security? Can you imagine our founding fathers making such a trade?

The Fourth can be a time to remind ourselves that winning isn't everything. Being right matters more than whether someone wins. I know that's not the popular way to look at life but it's true. You can think you won but because of how you did it, you really lost.

We are fighting a war, that more and more it's obvious, we were gotten into under false pretenses-- a nice way to say out and out lies. The men who led us into this war weren't willing to fight when it was their turn, but they don't mind sending young men and women to their death and for what?

I don't want to just be negative about this nation as currently it's been all too easy to do. What is best about us is our people. You can't prove that by our current leadership, but I see our people as mostly good, wanting to do right. I think we can and will fix what isn't right. We have made a start and if the Democrats who got in last fall don't do the job, we should keep tossing them out until we get those in office who are worthy of the heart of this country.

Mostly I don't write a lot about my family in here because I don't want to infringe on their privacy, but it just seems this Fourth that it's not enough to talk about our beginnings, or the things that have gone wrong. It's important to remember all that is right.

One example of that is my 'little' brother who runs a 'most of the time' one-man garage. He had a desire to be a mechanic from the time he was little and he became a darned good one. He's hard working, ethical, cares, and keeps his word. My brother is the salt of the earth, loves his family, loves to go fishing. He is the kind of man who has made this country what it has been.

Sure, I know, of course, I'd feel that way. I love him, am proud of him, but he's more than that. To me, he and millions like him represent the best part of what it means to be an American. What has gone wrong we will fix because we are a good people at heart. I truly do believe that.

Happy Fourth of July to people everywhere who value freedom and are willing to work for it.