Right now much of the world is scrambling to make sense of how the people of the United States of America could elect a man like Donald J. Trump as President. The truth is, for all our divisions, there is one day we all come together and put aside those differences, July 4. We wave American flags, light up firecrackers, rush out to see the latest summer blockbuster, and gather with friends and family for some good music and eating.
We all know the story of how 13 scrappy colonies of the once mighty British Empire stood up to political tyrrany and cried with one voice, give me liberty, or give me death.
That story is only the beginning. Sure, we do celebrate how our forefathers triumphed over that oppression. Sure, we also acknowledge it took a while longer for that blood fought liberty to trickle down, and sure we all know the story of how that young nation nearly tore itself in two when political differences were so divisive, both ideologies tried to squash the other. The real story is how, despite all those problems, trials, and forks in the road, somehow those 13 scrappy colonies who stood up for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, have grown into a 50-state coalition force for good, becoming a beacon of hope as the worlds first, and last remaining true super power.
It’s not just that swelling of pride we all get when we remember that despite our imperfections, we remain the greatest nation to exist on this great Earth God put us on to be stewards of. We might disagree on what it means to be a steward, or how to make use of those natural resources at our disposal, but we always agree, at the end of the day, we all enjoy the same freedoms those former British ruled country folks rose up to fight for. Love him or hate him, at least this 1 day, salute our Commander-in-Chief, salute the flag he serves, respect the Constitution he has sworn to defend, and just be proud to be American on this special day we all are free to observe in our own way.
Stephanie Bri 