Thoughts on the Fourth of July

My first thought was to take the day off and not write an entry. Then I thought, I’ll pen a few sentences on the what this day means to me. So here goes.

The Fourth of July is the day we celebrate our declaration of independence from our colonial masters. Historically, it is significant because besides leading to a war lasting until 1783. Most people don’t realize the Battle of Lexington and Concord was fought in April 1775, fourteen months before the document we know as the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Since then it has been an interesting 242 years. This country grew and prospered and became the world’s predominant superpower. The road was bumpy filled with recessions, wars, blunders and mistakes, racism, dumb laws, and more. But in the end, we, as a country succeeded like no other nation has. I often remind people that democracy is a messy process. It is always a work in process and eventually, we get it pretty close to right.

Despite our internal issues, we are still the world’s greatest economic power and people still want to live in this country because of the freedom it offers. Few countries offer the opportunities the United States does.

This freedom has not been without cost. More than two million, eight hundred and fifty-two thousand American men and women have been killed, wounded or are missing in action. Those are just numbers and do not account for the pain and suffering of the families who lost loved ones or whose lives were irreparably changed by their wounds. Nor does it account for the sacrifices many made to make this country great.

We should celebrate the Fourth of July. It is not just another reason to have a sale. So while we celebrate the Fourth of July, we should take a moment to give thanks to all those who came and went before us and made this holiday possible.

Marc Liebman

July 2017