7/4/25-Independence Day

In honor of the birthdate of our country I submit to you one of the greatest speeches in history:

“Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. “Mankind.” That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom… Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution… but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: “We will not go quietly into the night!” We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”

-President James Whitmore

Ok, its from a movie about aliens attacking the Earth. But there is some truth in it. We shouldn’t be consumed by our petty differences, we should be united in common interests. It is that philosophy that gave us our independence from England 249 years ago.

Whether you believe it or not, the United States is one of the greatest countries in the world if not one of the greatest in history. It is the freedom that we have that allows people to protest and say they hate this country. Some of the rhetoric people speak today is only allowed because we have our right to free speech defended by the very people we complain about.

It is a privilege to be an American. One I refuse to take for granted.

I hope as you eat your hamburgers and hot dogs or stare into the night sky watching fireworks you can join me just for a second in realizing how great a country the United States is.

God Bless America.