A Wake Up Call

Happy Independence Day, July 4th, 2009. Some 233 years ago this country was founded by a group of men with an idea. An idea that grew into a country. A group of men who lived in the past, who learned painfully from the past. Who lived under the rules of a tyrant, the King of England. A king who demanded that his subjects utterly submit to his "sovereign" will. And if they did not, he had nasty consequences for their "non-compliance." These G-d fearing, brave men, after suffering at the hands of this tyrant, finally decided that they had had enough. They met together for the purpose of drafting a paper that would break this tyrannical bond between master and servant. This paper, the Declaration of Independence, poured forth the words that would forever bind every human being on the face of the earth to the G-d given right to liberty, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. No government, no ruler, no self-annointed "despot" would have the right to take away these gifts from any person. These rights were ordained and protected by G-d and passed down to his people. Today, though, I see things changing. We still have the Declaration of Independence housed in a protected case in Philadelphia, but the reverence for what this document stands for is waning, nationwide. We no longer teach its history in our public schools. Our children are losing its meaning--what it is, why it was written and by whom. Even our elected leaders seem not to know much about it let alone have much respect for it. So, let this Independence Day, July 4th, 2009 be a day to remember....long live the United States of America--a Republic, if we can keep it. We are NOT a democracy as many are wont to call us. Definition of a Republic: a country in which the supreme power is held by the people or their elected representatives or by an elected or nominated president. May what this country stands for continue to be an inspiration to many. May we elect leaders who represent what she stands for....individual freedom, liberty, pursuit of happiness, freedom to worship, protection of the unborn. And may this Independence Day be of a particular "Wake Up" call to all of us.