Dear Editor,
On July 4 each year we Americans pause to observe the greatest patriotic holiday of these United States, for on that date in 1776, the continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
Through the years, Independence Day has served to rekindle in all loyal Americans the full appreciation of the ideals, institutions and aspirations that made this nation the greatest this world has ever known.
Our Forefathers who wrote this memorable document believed that the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness applied to all of mankind. Freedom is not strictly for Americans, It is for people everywhere, and only if all mankind realize we on this planet have a common destiny, will there be peace on earth and good will among men.
The Declaration of Independence has been called the “Heart of the Nation”, the “Magna Charta of American Liberty, the “Cornerstone of American Greatness”, and the “Birth Certificate of the American Nation”.
It is just plain reasoning that any man who placed his signature on the Declaration had to have more than the ordinary share of fortitude, because in event the revolution was crushed, each signer would quickly be convicted of treason and executed by the British. No one person was more aware of this great danger than Benjamin Franklin, who told his cosigners, “We must all hang together or we will all hang separately.”
Today, when this nation is in a turmoil, we should all stop to consider the qualities that drove these men on in their desire to formulate a priceless declaration. It is everlastingly obvious to us that these forefathers of ours possessed the greatest possible virtues, and they fought on in order to bequeath a priceless heritage to us. It has been our solemn duty to guard this fantastic, one-of-a-kind legacy in a manner entirely worthy of their display of fortitude.
One of the phrases from the Declaration of Independence which has exerted a profound influence on Americans is the proclamation that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” In reality the phrase does no mean all men are born equalmentally, physically or socially, It actually means they are truly equal in the eyes of the law and are entitled to the same opportunities of life. They are also equal in a common humanity and in certain natural rights. Those who try to divide and destroy us do their best to spread false statements about this inspiring ideal for they fully realize that this great document contains the real soul of America. It has stood the test of time and will surely endure the year ahead.
On this Independence Day we must remember the rare wisdom and foresight that our revolutionary forefathers displayed when they established this free nation. They left us a priceless heritage which we must protect at all costs. It is a debt we owe to those brave men who paved the way. Let us all honor this debt in a manner that will make us appear to have been fully worthy in the eyes of the generations to come.
On this Independence Day are you really doing your best to preserve the American Dream? The answer that each citizen feels in his heart will determine America’s future.
Thelma Hipp, Americanism Chairman
Morrison-McFadden VFW Post 3111 and Ladies Auxiliary