4th Of July – What We Need to Always Celebrate

There they were, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, John Penn, Samuel Chase and the other 49 signers of the Declaration of Independence standing with the Almighty on the edge where time meets eternity, looking down on America all amazed, some dumbfounded by what they saw. Jesus laughed hysterically.

“Hey George, look at the President of the United States” said Franklin. “My God, what have they become” screamed Thomas Paine. “I WILL TELL YOU WHAT THEY HAVE BECOME….ONE NATION UNDER ME, DESPITE ALL OF YOU” said the Almighty. “They’re a nation of drug abusers, self serving, greed afflicted, money chasing hypocrites” said John Penn.

“Yes, They All Follow The Paths Laid By You Fathers For Your Sons” said Jesus. “Stop staring at the President George”, said Adams. “He is indeed an American and indeed President.” Washington said, “This is all Abe Lincolns fault, now what for America, now what?” “Stop your bickering, look at them, they have become glorious, they have become the greatest republic in all human history” said John Hancock as he nodded approvingly.

Then GOD pointed at the large scroll before them which the cherubim had unrolled on a great table, then had the signers read in turn the words to the greatest document penned by men, those men who now looked down from heaven upon the earth. They signers were to read the Declaration of Independence before GOD.

Thomas Jefferson began reading “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

We now break from Heaven to take a look at what we on earth really should celebrate about the 4^th of July. First of all what we now call the United States had not become fully formed yet, the Constitution had not been written yet. The Colonies, soon to become the United States operated under the Articles of Confederation from March 1^st 1781 to June 20^th 1788.

The Constitution was ratified or that is, the law of the land on June 21^st 1788. But the Declaration of Independence was the most eloquent apologetic for both the dissolution of bonds with a government and the creation of a new government. That is what we really celebrate, the power of the people to change the way we govern and how we live under government.

Author Kate Kelly notes, the 4^th of July was not an official holiday. And Americans of African Ancestry didn’t even recognize Independence Day. Kelly writes: “As tensions over slavery grew during the 19th century, some African Americans began to talk about the fact that the declaration did not apply to them. By 1859, movement was afoot to address this directly.

Philadelphia's Banneker Institute -- begun by Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) an African American mathematician who was born free in a slave state -- urged African Americans to celebrate Independence Day but to bear witness to the inconsistencies between the ideals espoused in the Declaration of Independence and the practice of slavery.

By the 1870s, the Fourth of July had become the most important secular holiday on the calendar. On June 28, 1870, Congress passed a law making Independence Day an unpaid federal holiday. In 1938, Congress voted that it should become a paid holiday for federal workers.”

Fireworks were most always a part of the American Independence Day celebration. Since nearly the very beginning of our celebrations we used fireworks as noted in a letter by John Adams in a letter to his wife Abigail in which he wrote, “... It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."

As we celebrate the 4^th of July, let us not forget the strife this country was born out from . It took decades after the ratification of the Constitution before slavery

ended and that only after a civil war.

In the War of 1812 the British invaded the United States and burned down Washington DC, including the White House. In December of 1945 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and invaded U.S. territories in Alaska, that is the Aleutian Island. Today the British and Japanese invasions continue through tourism the British and Japanese are the largest groups of tourists from foreign countries.

Never forget that from the time of the American Revolution until a few days ago, American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are dying in wars and conflicts to keep America free.

Never forget as we barbeque our dogs and burgers, enjoy seafood and ice cream, that this is possible because selfless souls serve at the Presidents discretion to do the hard things to keep little boys and girls safe at home.

We now go peer back on the edge where time meets eternity, as Benjamin Franklin reads the last of the Declaration Of Independence. With force and spirit, Franklin reads “We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States;

that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

We, the Americans, should celebrate and share as much as we can today with love and celebration for all the freedoms we have and all the freedoms we must still secure. Give a smile, a hot dog or a hug. And wish all you see a happy 4^th of July.

Like the founding fathers, we must pledge or Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred honor to keep freedom free. Thank God for the Americans who keep and have kept this pledge. This we must celebrate and do not just today…but every day!

RJ