"Independence Day"

It was 256 years ago today that the Declaration of Independence was signed. On this day 56 men came together to set forth a new way of life. A new way to rule a country. Free from a tyrannical government. Free from the rule of a government that was in the best interest of the people, but actually at the expense of the people. It was later said by Abe Lincoln "-that government of the people, by the people, FOR the people, shall never perish from this earth."

The British government found itself in great great debt after the Seven Years' War and thought that implementing more tax levies to keep the new 13 colonies in the British Empire was a fair means of recovering some of that debt. These tax levies were part of bigger issues that the new colonies (America) had with Parliament and their authority over the colonies.

Soooooo, does any of this sound familiar? Where are we going as Americans? I don't know about you, but from where I sit today, it looks as if we are traveling down the same path all over again. At what point did "of the people, by the people, FOR the people", lose its conviction? At what point did we as Americans let the government RULE the land of the people again?

Looking at all that it took for those men, in those times, to come to the realization that this was the best way to handle things leads me to wonder, exactly how bad did things have to get before they took action? Which, in turn, brings me back to today... How BAD do things have to get before WE as the American PEOPLE take action?!?! Does it have to get to the point of war against the government? Can we resolve it peacefully through democracy? Is it even in our best interest to resolve it peacefully, or do we send the message that the PEOPLE aren't to be toyed with?

I don't know. The only thing that I am sure of, is that if we continue down the path that we are taking we are going to be in trouble. More trouble than we are already struggling through. As individuals we struggle to be heard, however, as the collective PEOPLE I believe that we cannot be ignored.

This is just a little food for thought as we, myself included, take this day to put food in our bellies. A day that was fought for long before my time. As the people, don't relinquish control back to a government that does NOT have OUR best interest at heart. Don't let all of the work of the those PEOPLE and the 56 men who helped give us OUR freedom be in vain. 

Enjoy your Independence Day. As it was well-earned 256 years ago. Keep in mind that it may have to be earned again.

May God bless America, we need it, and may He bless your day as well. 

Proud to be American

~Michael