the 4th of july

Well, it's the Fourth of July and I'm excited. I mean come on, it's not only a day off from work--it's a day of fun and relaxation and food on the grill. At least, that's the plan for me and my family. Oh, let me tell you it's going to be fun. We're going to have picnics, we're going to cook all sorts of meat on the grill--possibly all day long depending on how long the propane holds out. In between meals, maybe we'll take the kids swimming at the beach. Then again, now that I think about it, maybe we'll just fill up one of those little wading pools with lukewarm water and let them sit in that--sure, they can't go underwater or swim or really even get their whole body wet at the same time, but I won't have to carry four hundred pounds of towels and toys and beach chairs over burning hot sand. And besides, if we stay home rather than head out to the beach, that will give me more time to lay in the hammock, read books, listen to the Tigers and eat bunches of food off the grill.

Eventually, the day will move towards evening and maybe we'll finish it all off by taking in a fireworks show somewhere. Or . . . if I'm too tired, maybe we could just watch one on tv--I think I made a video of the show last year . . . . We could throw some blankets on the floor in the living room, turn out the lights and crank up the surround sound--the kids won't know the difference.

Anyway, that's what our Fourth of July looks like. And chances are, it's what your Fourth looks like as well--except you'll probably take your kids to a real fireworks show. And if you want to know something interesting, that type of Fourth of July is exactly what John Adams would have desired. You see, John Adams, our second President and one of the Founding fathers of this country--a man who with Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin played a sigificant role in the writing of the Declaration of Independence--wrote a letter to his wife about the Fourth of July saying "I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the Great Anniversary festival." And then it goes on to say that "It out to be celebrated with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."

Well, reading that . . . reading about the pomp and parade and the guns and the illuminations from one of the country to the other, it's not hard to picture our current celebrations with the fireworks and the parades and the fun and excitement. So, in practice we seem to be celebrating the Fourth just as the original founding fathers would have celebrated it.

But are we really? Or are we so removed from the original Independence Day, that the meaning is lost on us? Well, I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you that I don't think I put as much thought into the celebration as I probably should. You see, I've been thinking about this for a while now and I've come to the conclusion that while I take part in the celebration of the day, I'm more celebrating a day off from work and time spent with my family than I am celebrating freedom--celebrating the fact that I live in the greatest country this world has ever or probably will ever see.

So this year I'm going to encourage you to do what I'm going to do. Let's take some time this fourth of July and give it some thought. Let's think about the remarkable blessing--some would say coincidence, but I find that a tough word to swallow. Think about the remarkable blessing that our Founding Fathers--all those great men with incredible minds for politics and government supplemented nicely by healthy doses of character and honor--think about the remarkable blessing that those people all found themselves together at the right time, in the right place.

Let's remember that all those years ago, they risked everything they owned--they risked their lives and the lives of their families--to pursue a course that has brought our country to where it stands today--easily one of the greatest achievements in all of history. You've heard it a hundred times, I'm sure, but stil take time to remember that when they put their names on that Declaration of Independence, they knew that they were betting on success because failure meant a hangman's noose.

Sure, they had their disagreements and they fought and squabbled with eachother just as our congress does right now. Don't be duped into thinking that politics was different back then. It was the same world of opposing ideas, heated arguments and debates as we have today. The big difference was that that group of men, in spite of their differences and in spite of the ferocity of their disagreements, still managed to produce results. And not just results--but the most tremendous results the world has ever seen a government produce.

So take some time this 4th of July and think about the blessings that have been bestowed upon this nation. Think about the men and the women behind them who forged ahead with their experiment in democracy. And don't let the voices of the world we live in now sour you on what they accomplished. Hang out your flags, take the time to tell the story to your children and constantly remember that America is, as Abraham Lincoln said, the last, best hope of earth.

Don't be embarassed to say it. Don't be embarassed to believe it. Have a great 4th of July.