Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and I am psyched. I mean literally. I love this holiday so, so much! I mean, yes, the BBQs and family and beach and fireworks are awesome. Hanging out with my family is my favorite thing ever. But that’s not why I love this holiday. I love the Fourth of July because I LOVE my county. I am so proud of being an American, I can’t even express it. You’ll notice that’s a common theme in my blogs. Let’s remember that I started this blog because of my trip to Ireland, but don’t let that fool you. Ireland was awesome, but America is my home, my heart, my county. It’s true, I’m not fond of everything this county does or of all of its values; however, I still couldn’t be prouder of where I’m from. I refer you to both my post from the last July 4th (Oh Say Can You See?) or a couple of my posts from Ireland, the first where I taught America to my Middle Students (2nd Paragraph from Where HAS the time gone?!) or when I saw the bodies in St. Michan’s Church Crypt of the Irish Rebels (last 2 paragraphs from Here at the end of all things). Heck, just click on the tag “America” on the main page of my blog and read all of the ones I’ve posted under that name. I love my country.
I have noticed that going overseas has one of two effects on the average person. In general, both sets of people will acknowledge the separate cultures they visit and create an appreciate and respect for them. The first sort of people will leave their heart overseas, converting their loyalty to where ever it is that they visit. This bothers me. Yes appreciate, yes respect, yes love, but remember your roots. I don’t ask that immigrants to this country forget where they are from. I except that a person who moves here from Ireland will become American, but also keep their connection to their home country. There are exceptions to this that I’m just not going to get into right now, because this is not a political blog, so we’ll leave that aside for later. The second kind of effect overseas travel will have is when a person goes to another country and falls in love with the culture they find there, but they come home with a greater love for their own nation.
That is what happened to me. I’ve always loved being an American, but now I am downright exuberant of it. I love my God and my country. I even love North Carolina more than I did before (which is saying something as I have always loved my state).
However, it wasn’t just overseas travel that increased my love for America. Teaching has done that to me as well. It was one thing to study American history as a student and appreciate it, but another thing altogether to impart this knowledge and information to children and teens. Suddenly, I’m drawing conclusions and making connections and explaining their importance. It makes me so excited to be able to say, “Look at this! Look what our Founding Fathers did! It was unprecedented, unimaginable, and nearly impossible–but they did it.” I even now more appreciate the story of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (which by the way, today is the anniversary of the last day of that battle). Before Lincoln gave that short little speech people would refer to the United State as a plural and say things like “The United States are a democracy.” Afterwards, whether because of that speech or because of the war in general, people referred to the country as a singular, such as, “The United States is a democracy.” Also, think about our pledge of allegiance: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands ONE nation UNDER God, INDIVISIBLE with Liberty and Justice for all.” Have you ever thought about why Indivisible is in the pledge? It seems an odd word thrown in there. It’s because of the Civil War. I am a Southerner, and I am proud of that too, but the Civil War almost destroyed what the Revolutionary war built. Afterwards, we realized that we are a people Indivisible. We are United under our God and our government to stand strong together. Amen.
I want to end this blog by expressing again the importance of what happened during the American Revolution. Can you imagine what the Founding Fathers felt when they voted on and signed the Declaration of Independence. Had they failed in their intent, and by all accounts they should have, they had just knowingly and willingly committed an act of treason to the crown. They had signed their own death warrant. THINK ABOUT IT!! The Declaration of Independence could have been the Death Warrant of the 56 men who penned their names to it. For many of them, it was. Doesn’t that give new meaning to what they did? Doesn’t that hit it home? It is sobering. I know that I am sobered by it. And yet, they had confidence in it. So strong was the confidence of my personal favorite Father, John Adams, that he wrote back to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776 of the events of July 2 (the day we should actually celebrate the Independence Day, as that was the day the Declaration was adopted) of a great celebration that would continue in this country for the rest of history. I am posting it hear for you to read carefully. Read between his lines. He is thrilled, but also afraid. He is confident, but also realistic. But his forethought is incredible. He knows he is right, and he knows what he had just done.
The Delay of this Declaration to this Time, has many great Advantages attending it. The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest and well meaning tho weak and mistaken People, have been gradually and at last totally extinguished. Time has been given for the whole People, maturely to consider the great Question of Independence and to ripen their Judgments, dissipate their Fears, and allure their Hopes, by discussing it in News Papers and Pamphletts, by debating it, in Assemblies, Conventions, Committees of Safety and Inspection, in town and County Meetings, as well as in private Conversations, so that the whole People in every Colony of the 13, have now adopted it, as their own Act. This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats, and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago.But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfire and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.
You will think me transported with Enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil, and Blood, and Treasure that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet, through all the Gloom, I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means, and that Posterity will triumph in that Day’s Transaction, even though We should not rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.
God Bless America.
