Today we celebrate the Declaration of Independence
that our forefathers cared enough to suffer to achieve. Few of us can remotely
identify with anything near the adversities that they endured to provide us the
freedom to live the lifestyle that we are privileged to enjoy today.
My family and that of my husband date back to the
early colonies and the American Revolution.
This holiday is a reminder to us of our heritage and the legacy that our
ancestors provided to us in the 200+ years since that Declaration of
Independence. Subsequent generations
have defended the principles of those first Colonists, but none paid a higher
price than those who fought in that cause or the subsequent Civil War to defend the principles of equal justice
for all. Two of my Great Grandfathers fought
and were wounded in that war and they carried reminders of those wounds with
them for the rest of their life. I was
raised to respect the sanctity of human life, respect my fellow citizens and
above all, appreciate the values on which my country was founded and that my
ancestors fought to preserve. My parents instilled in me pride for what had been given to me and respect for the values from which they sprung.
This year as in no other year in my 87 years I am
apprehensive for my country and the traditions that I was taught to respect and value. I
am appalled at the disrespect for our history, traditions and moral values that
have been exhibited in the past weeks. How many of those who now attack the
foundations of patriotism share the history of a forefather fighting in that
great revolution under almost insurmountable odds or in the unfathomable
conditions under which my Great Grandfathers and many other similarly dedicated men fought in the great Civil War? I do not in any way discount the wrongs of
slavery, but I would remind those who may not otherwise know, a rarely
acknowledged fact. There were many good
Americans who voluntarily withstood incomprehensible conditions in order that
slavery and the wrongs of a misguided group of our citizenry might be
righted. I find myself resentful that the
price my Grandfathers paid in the cause of freedom should now be looked upon
with contempt without recognition of the
price that was paid for them to now engage in the acts of despicable anarchy
and hate that we are forced to endure. I
understand that we have witnessed many appalling acts of hate by people whose
moral yardstick is challenged. But what
is to be accomplished when that hate is met by a hate of the same misguided
acts of vindictiveness? I abhor those
who would disrespect and dishonor their fellow man. Those people do not share my moral values and
I do not share theirs, but neither do I share the moral values of those would
strike back on the same revengeful premise.
I do not believe that those who do not respect others
irrespective of race, color, creed or nationality are part of our American
tradition. This holiday celebrates our
Declaration of Independence and for me a special tradition. It is a celebration of who we are and not
what those who would destroy our beliefs and traditions with hate and
vindictive acts of anarchy would have us be.
I fear that their abuse of the freedoms that our forefathers fought so
hard to provide us will destroy not only their freedoms, but yours and mine as
well. Let us all reach out, one unto
another, in a new dedication to preserving that which we have rather than
joining those who would destroy that which has been given us. A first step might be to recognize that hate
in any form must be acknowledged and eradicated and that it must begin
with you and me. That would be my wish
for all my family and friends on this Fourth of July 2020.
