Happy Fourth of July
Fourth of July Picnic, Rogers, Arkansas ca. 1904
Here in the United States, we’re heading into the July 4th holiday–a holiday that expands or contracts depending on where in the week in falls. It’s also a holiday where the meaning of what we are celebrating is often lost in the celebration itself.
In the past I’ve used this post to remind all of us of the ideal which stands at the core of who we are:
“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.”
This year, I’d like to remind you of another quotation from our history, the words written on the Statue of Liberty:
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! “
Over the years, we’ve had trouble living up to both ideals. Over the years, some heroic figures have fought to keep them alive.
Picnics, fireworks and barbecue are nice. Civil rights are better.
Well said—I can’t think of a more perfect sentiment for this holiday. Happy 4th from chilly Cape Town!