For the past several years I have made it a tradition to read the Declaration of Independence on July 4. I remember when this tradition began, I was struck by the terse nature of the Declaration. It is not verbose. At that time, I was slogging my way through David McCullough's biography on John Adams and I had reached late June/early July 1776 when Adams had written Abigail to tell her the news the coming declaration that would forever sever America's ties to the Crown. He even told her that he predicted that in future times, the day would be marked with great celebration, fanfare and fireworks!!
The Declaration is short. It is to the point and it is incendiary. The point is simple: people were created by God to live freely and without the threat of a tyrant or tyrannical government. King George was esteemed to be the worst tyrant of all. At least 27 times in the Declaration George is blamed for all manner of evil. I was surprised that they didn't blame him for the flu. In John Adams, there is even a statement blaming George for importing the sinful practice of slavery to the Americas. That statement was deleted so as not to create division with the fragile wanna-be republic. The point is clear. They didn't like this guy ... at all.
The 56 men who put their name to this statement were literally putting their heads on the chopping blocks. By signing this treasonous article, there was now question about their role as traitors against the Monarch. If captured, these men (the most influential of the time) would be subject to execution. Yet they pressed on.
The words I find most stirring are those of the concluding sentence: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." This sentence is the battle cry of "Let's Do This!" The signers were putting all they had worked toward on the line for something that - if successful - would be monumental. But, if it failed, "disastrous" doesn't even come close to the right word. When I read that statement I wonder, "Am I the kind of man who is willing to sacrifice so much for a cause and for my brethren?" While I think I am that kind of man, I am ashamed that most of our country is quite cowardly. I read this morning in the Wall Street Journal that less than 1% of Americans serve in uniform. In World War 2, if a capable adult man was NOT in uniform it was out of the norm. There are very few among us who are willing to drop what they are doing, change course and take a new direction for the sake of others.
In the 1992 movie "A Few Good Men," the antagonist - Col. Nathan Jessep said something that is quite stirring. "we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns ... We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it."
While I am saddened by so many that think of honor, code, loyalty and duty as titles to video games, it encourages to me look at the very few young men and women who don't view this country as a punchline nor take for granted that "blanket of freedom" that has been provided by the sacrifices of so many.
On this day, I am thankful to be an American. I am thankful that due to the "Protection of divine Providence" I have had the luxury of living in a nation that protects freedom. I am thankful for men who have sacrificed for my sake. Men like Charles A. Miller, Patrick Tillman, and William Norred were not looking for glory or status. The men and women who have given for this nation's strength and security are the fulfillment of the dream that took flight 235 years ago in Philadelphia, PA.
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