Happy Independence Day USA!!

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I have never been shy about my pride in being a citizen of The United States of America. Our country is certainly not perfect, but it is structured in such a way that we can all work together, even when our views differ, to come closer and closer to being a nation that truly does provide liberty and justice for all.

We would not be a nation today had it not been for a small group of men coming together in 1776 for the purpose of declaring independence. Most of us in the US can recite these famous words of The Declaration of Independence:

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.

But have you ever read the entire Declaration? I fear for most of us, that answer is "No." Or we read it so very long ago in school that we don't even remember. There is a sadness, I think, in being unfamiliar with the document that was responsible for launching the founding of our country.

So, I encourage you and your family and friends, and especially any children who are with you today, to take 15 minutes out of your festivities and watch the video below. Morgan Freeman's introduction to a dramatic reading of the Declaration is nearly as moving as the words of the document itself.

Make an effort. I think you'll be glad you did. Happy Independence Day!




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All original work in this post by Sandy Kendell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Please see specifics on my re-use policy in the right-hand column of my blog before re-posting/re-using any of my blog content.

Veterans Day 2012

I am the proud daughter of a WWII veteran and proud citizen of a nation whose freedoms have been purchased and protected by all who have worn the uniform throughout our history in times of conflict and peace. This American does not take our veterans' sacrifices for granted, knowing the life I live each day is possible only because they were willing to put themselves on the line. 

Because of Our Veterans...

• I am free to worship God & attend church weekly.
• I am an educator practicing my chosen profession.
• I am a blogger who is free to express my learning and opinions.
• I am a woman who exercises her right to vote.
• I am a home owner and car owner.
• I am free to travel when and where I please.
• I am able to spend time with loved ones in safety and comfort.
• I am a citizen of a country that draws countless people from around the world every day in search of opportunity for themselves and their children.

Thank you, Veterans of the United States Armed Forces! Thank you to the American men and women who throughout our history have sacrificed, and whose families have sacrificed, to protect my opportunities to do and be all of the things listed above and so much more. I hope you know this day, and every day, how profoundly grateful your country is for you and your service.

Happy Birthday, USA!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uhuru1701/2247554723/

I am blessed beyond measure to have been born in, grown up in, and thrived in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I wish somehow that the thank-yous captured in the lives of millions of Americans lived over the last 235 years might ring backward in time to the 56 men who signed the Declaration, "with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence," pledging their Lives, their Fortunes, and their sacred Honor. I wonder if they could have envisioned what they were setting in motion in 1776.

In honor of our Independence Day, I hope you'll take 15 minutes to view this dramatic reading of The Declaration of Independence, the first-of-its-kind document which started it all. The introduction by Morgan Freeman is stirring in itself.