Freedom

I think it's too easy to get caught up in the barbecues, picnics, family get-togethers, and fireworks and inadvertently forget the true meaning of the 4th of July. It's not just a date, after all. It's Independence Day...the day we celebrate all that makes our country great.

This 4th of July I'm thankful for freedom.

Freedom from:
tyranny
political oppression
slavery
religious oppression or coercion
censorship
fear of arbitrary decisions made by those in power
being held without cause
an unlawful search of my home

Freedom to:
worship who, how & when I choose
make my voice heard
vote
choose the work I'll do
pursue my goals and desires
live where I want to
marry and have children
buy and keep my own weapons


I am able to get up in the morning, choose what to eat, what to wear, and how I will spend my time. I go throughout my day able to listen to the opinions of others on any topic I care to discuss, and can share my thoughts and ideas freely on facebook, blogger, email, or in person. I go to bed at night with no thoughts of whether or not the government will send someone to my house to arrest me or to confiscate what I own. I go to church each Sunday to a congregation of my choosing, and believe what my heart and soul feel are right, not what a government official declares to be true.

In short, I am FREE. Every minute of every day of my life. Free to choose, free to live, free to be. If you've been blessed to enjoy this same freedom- be thankful for it and rejoice in it, and remember those who have given so much to make it possible for us.

Click on these links to read: the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution.