The Fourth of July...Let Us Remember.

July 4, 2010

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous declaration of the thirteen United States of America

 WHEN in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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.

By the action of brave men, inspired by the words of others who had imagination , vision and  hope for the future, this collection of  thirteen colonies became independent states and together formed the United States of America. These men who sacrificed all for freedom we enjoy today did so in a fashion so very few are called upon today to do. WE owe all we have to these patriots.

To all those who have sacrificed parts or all of their lives to bring us the freedoms we enjoy today, I salute you, regardless of which wars you may have fought , or eras when you served. Such sacrifice demands the best of all of us each day. It is a simple requirement to honor their sacrifice.

Yesterday, a real Fall River HERO was laid to rest. He did for us what few people are willing to do. He paid freedom's ultimate price, the "last, full measure of devotion" as President Lincoln called it in his Gettysburg Address. Yet far too often many of us are too busy to understand how our own government works, or avoid learning the true character of those running for office because it's too much bother, or are just plain too lazy or apathetic to vote.

Army Specialist Scott Andrews was not too lazy or apathetic to die trying to protect the freedoms we all enjoy. He was killed by a seemingly cold and very impersonal "improvised explosive device" (IED) in the distant reaches of Afghanistan, a place far away from most of our collective conscience. He was simply doing his job of making sure we all slept in peace and freedom each night, like the many thousands of real HEROS that did so before him.

I ask that we all save a special place in our hearts and minds to remember Scott Andrews' sacrifice, and the similar sacrifices made by the many hundreds of thousands of our past and current service men and women around the world as they go about their business protecting us all. They never ask for a thing. On this day celebrating the divinely inspired words of Independence repeated above, in between a few hot dogs and cheeseburgers, maybe we could all take the time to say a private, silent and heartfelt thank you to Scott Andrews for his ultimate sacrifice so we could enjoy today's celebration in peace and freedom. It's the least we could do.

Thank you Army Specialist Scott Andrews - rest in peace.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!