I believe that I live in the greatest country in the world. I am sure that others from other countries will see that as debatable, because their patriotism for their country leads them to believe that theirs is indeed the greatest country in the world. And that's okay with me. What this holiday means for me as an American is what Canada Day means for Canadians or Bastille Day means for France. You celebrate your patrie, or homeland.
One thing that the Fourth always conjures up is the sacrifices that men and women have made to make sure that we remain a free nation. I live not far from Quantico National Cemetery, and I am 25 miles from Arlington National Cemetery. Driving into both, you really need to get out of your car and look at the headstones. Look at the names, the religious symbols, the epitaph, and get that this country is for everyone. People from everywhere, from all walks of life, thought so highly of America, a land of fantastic opportunity and immense resources, that they would shed their blood without a second thought. In that, they have become forever bonded with the spirit of freedom that America represents.
I also think of civil service and sacrifice. My great grandfather, prior to enlisting in the United States Navy to serve in World War II's Pacific Theater, served his country in the Civilian Conservation Corps. He downplayed it, saying that all he did was "dig ditches". He did so much more than that. He, with the help of fellow countrymen, built and beautified roads, planted trees, built dams and reservoirs and helped to build Prince William Forest Park, a U.S. National Park. I ride my bicycle there all the time, and when I do, I remember that many busy, work-addled hands made all of this possible for me, a free person, to enjoy. Those that serve their country by keeping it strong at home and serving the public good are an important part of America's lifeblood, and I'm always reminded of that on this great day.
I can't possibly sit here and give some pollyanna viewpoint on America and pretend like it doesn't have its problems. What country doesn't? My issue is when the focus is solely on not just what problems are, but what we perceive them to be. For all of the bashing, trashing, name-calling and bitter partisanship, I have to wonder: where does it get us? Are we a stronger nation because we do this? How can we truly be a union if, at the end of the day, we see our own countrymen as enemies simply for thinking differently? I think about the hatred that exists between Americans, and how it takes a day like today to make that all go away.
To that end, the Fourth Of July means peace to me. A day when we forget our differences and realize that the land upon which we sit was fought for and died for by men and women that didn't see "left" or "right", they saw forward. They saw America, plain and simple. My grandfather, a Korean War veteran who served on the U.S.S. Coral Sea in the United States Navy told me that.
I teach children, I work out, I ride bicycles, go grocery shopping, take trips, etc. This sounds mundane to the average American, but I never forget that I do all of those things without a jackbooted government thug pointing a weapon at me and accusing me of hating or betraying my country. I do those things knowing full well that I am under no obligation to keep a portrait of a dictator in my house under state law. Things like that don't happen in America, and they never will. I do those things because I am an American, and if I wish to do those things, I can. I am thankful every day of my life for being in this great country.
I sincerely hope that, those that have bitterness, extreme partisanship, and just overall hatred for the other side remember that the word "patriot" is of Latin origin. It means "fellow countryman". Regardless of what you think, what you might say, the people that disagree are your countrymen, through and through.
If we can drop our issues, have some good food and drink, and get along like Americans should just because it's the Fourth Of July, then I hope that someday, some time in America, every day will be like the Fourth Of July.
What a great country.
One thing that the Fourth always conjures up is the sacrifices that men and women have made to make sure that we remain a free nation. I live not far from Quantico National Cemetery, and I am 25 miles from Arlington National Cemetery. Driving into both, you really need to get out of your car and look at the headstones. Look at the names, the religious symbols, the epitaph, and get that this country is for everyone. People from everywhere, from all walks of life, thought so highly of America, a land of fantastic opportunity and immense resources, that they would shed their blood without a second thought. In that, they have become forever bonded with the spirit of freedom that America represents.
I also think of civil service and sacrifice. My great grandfather, prior to enlisting in the United States Navy to serve in World War II's Pacific Theater, served his country in the Civilian Conservation Corps. He downplayed it, saying that all he did was "dig ditches". He did so much more than that. He, with the help of fellow countrymen, built and beautified roads, planted trees, built dams and reservoirs and helped to build Prince William Forest Park, a U.S. National Park. I ride my bicycle there all the time, and when I do, I remember that many busy, work-addled hands made all of this possible for me, a free person, to enjoy. Those that serve their country by keeping it strong at home and serving the public good are an important part of America's lifeblood, and I'm always reminded of that on this great day.
I can't possibly sit here and give some pollyanna viewpoint on America and pretend like it doesn't have its problems. What country doesn't? My issue is when the focus is solely on not just what problems are, but what we perceive them to be. For all of the bashing, trashing, name-calling and bitter partisanship, I have to wonder: where does it get us? Are we a stronger nation because we do this? How can we truly be a union if, at the end of the day, we see our own countrymen as enemies simply for thinking differently? I think about the hatred that exists between Americans, and how it takes a day like today to make that all go away.
To that end, the Fourth Of July means peace to me. A day when we forget our differences and realize that the land upon which we sit was fought for and died for by men and women that didn't see "left" or "right", they saw forward. They saw America, plain and simple. My grandfather, a Korean War veteran who served on the U.S.S. Coral Sea in the United States Navy told me that.
I teach children, I work out, I ride bicycles, go grocery shopping, take trips, etc. This sounds mundane to the average American, but I never forget that I do all of those things without a jackbooted government thug pointing a weapon at me and accusing me of hating or betraying my country. I do those things knowing full well that I am under no obligation to keep a portrait of a dictator in my house under state law. Things like that don't happen in America, and they never will. I do those things because I am an American, and if I wish to do those things, I can. I am thankful every day of my life for being in this great country.
I sincerely hope that, those that have bitterness, extreme partisanship, and just overall hatred for the other side remember that the word "patriot" is of Latin origin. It means "fellow countryman". Regardless of what you think, what you might say, the people that disagree are your countrymen, through and through.
If we can drop our issues, have some good food and drink, and get along like Americans should just because it's the Fourth Of July, then I hope that someday, some time in America, every day will be like the Fourth Of July.
What a great country.
