Last week those of us that live in the United States celebrated 235 years of our country’s Independence. This has a large significance to some – to others it’s simply a day to get together with family and friends. However you celebrate is your choice, your freedom. There is no set rule or ritual. And that’s part of why we should never take living in this country for granted.
To be “free” means a lot of different things depending on whom you are. Even if I follow my own "crazy" liberal agenda, I can decipher that what this country offers is a lot better than what other places have. At a certain point, though, to get all the way to “freedom”, things have to stop being a legal doctrine and start being an individual responsibility. For example, there is a point where freedom of speech and thought intersects with freedom of race, religion, gender, and sexual preference. So while I’m going to stop short of saying that you shouldn’t say what you want or feel, I am going to ask that we all take a moment to consider the impact of our words.
As an example, overheard on July 4th as the fireworks were in full glorious, patriotic display were the words: “Take that you Islamic jerks!”
I’ve edited those words for content.
As much as I enjoy the enthusiasm felt during the moment, the choice of words left something to be desired on a day when we are supposed to be celebrating “Independence” and “freedom”. This isn’t a blog asking you to reconsider your views on the world. It is a blog asking you to think about the choice of words and the impact it has. Considering the above statement was used during a crowded fireworks show in the Nation’s capital, it certainly could have been overheard by many. And the same can be said about commentary I’ve heard disparaging many others who are, technically, allotted the supposed freedoms granted by living in this great country.
So as we move forward, let’s all stay patriotic and support our troops who serve, fight, and protect for our freedoms. But let’s also take a few moments to question whether we live and respect those freedoms from others on a daily basis. I realize there are a lot of freedoms that we are granted "legally" that don't exist in other places in the world. But take that a step further and think about the messages you send in speech and thoughts and question if you are accurately portraying the concept of freedom on an individual level. I certainly do not want to snub any of our armed services who have chosen to dedicate their profession to serve and protect the USA. But I do think there is more than "fighting" for freedom and "protecting" our freedom. It's also about each one of us individually living and believing in it. And I do believe if we all did live and believe in true "freedom" and "equality", then perhaps the need to have those who serve, fight, and protect would be a lot less.
