It's Independence Day!

How many times in the last week or two have you been asked something like this - "what are you doing for the 4th" or "do you have plans for the 4th?" How many times have you said something similar?

We all know what people are talking when they say "the 4th," but name another holiday that we call by the date. Nobody routinely says hey what are you doing the 31st. It's Halloween. I can't wait until it's the 25th. It's Christmas. However, we say "the 4th." It's become the norm and people seem to feel funny or weird saying Independence Day. Now I know some of you think I've lost my mind, but I think it's important that we call it Independence Day. As Christians we denounce taking Christ out of Christmas and rightfully so, but we as Americans should also be concerned by taking Independence out of Independence Day.

We celebrate the 4th of July to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence,the day our Founding Fathers (not Founding Founders!) decided enough is enough and decided that freedom for the country was more important than their own safety. By declaring independence they would forever change the course of this country and the world. For further evidence of that please read The 5000 Year Leap, by W. Cleon Skousen. It is one of the best books on the Founding Fathers and the founding of the US. Ironically written by a Canadian.

Our freedoms are under attack, more so everyday. Recently, James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence was asked the following question in response to the revelation the NSA was collecting millions of telephone calls in the US. "Why do you need every telephone number?" His answer? "Well, you have to start some place." Catch that? Start! In other words collecting phone numbers was just the beginning of the infringement of our privacy. How about this for clarity, when asked to explain that his answer during a Senate hearing depended on what the meaning of "collect" is, Mr. Clapper clarified that he "responded in what" he "thought was the...least untruthful manner." Say what? And yet, these are the people we have entrusted to protect our freedoms.

President Obama once said “Generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties...It says what the states can’t do to you, says what the federal government can’t do to you, but it doesn’t say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf.” He's exactly right and it's why the Constitution has been so effective. The Constitution was intended to keep government at bay, not to put government in every aspect of our life.

Thomas Jefferson once said "Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us." In other words, our brave ancestors fought way to darn hard and sacrificed too much and for us to just idly sit by and watch our freedoms be destroyed and our children deserve to enjoy those freedoms as well. Samuel Adams stated clearly that "it is our duty to defend them (liberties of our country and our Constitution) against all attacks."

We all have a part to play in defending our freedoms and our liberty. We have all been called to do our duty. Let's not become complacent, let's not be the generation to not leave our "innocent posterity" a less free country. It has been said that "Liberty is easily taken for granted when you have never had it taken from you." Let's not take it for granted and allow it to be taken from us. One of the simplest things we can do is respect what July 4th is, Independence Day. Isn't that the very least we can all do? Why should we feel weird saying it? People died so we could celebrate it! Say it proudly and with enthusiasm. Say it with a humble heart and do your part. It's Independence Day!

MH