What Does Freedom Mean To You And Me And The Future

Today let us begin with a short meditation to face the day for the day will come as it always does without fail;

Wow !!! what a sacrifice for me and you and our future the ultimate sacrifice !!!!

Today we celebrate so much. Today we celebrate what this United States Of America means. To me it means being thankful and grateful  for all the fallen heroes that gave their life for me and my children to live in a country where you can still speak your mind and be the best that you can be. To live in a place where your dreams mean something and have the freedom to achieve them.

I have the  pleasure to work under veteran woman who has been an inspiration to me personally because she is a real person no BS attitude and well, straight forward about everything not just life. You come to appreciate someone like her. Her husband a great guy as well. My father In Law is a Vietnam Vet and well I have all the respect in the world for him.

All the respect in the world from us means nothing if we do not take care of them for all that they have done for us to keep us safe and well free. I believe freedom is what we fought for when this country became what it is today.  Can you imagine what they went through during war. The stress in the mind and on the body and soul.  I humble before all the fallen and all that are fighting today for our freedom.

They are an inspiration that we should all follow. They have told me stories that well I still get chills thinking about them. My heart goes out to all those families that have lost loved ones in war. I have no idea what they felt or went through but I can tell you that every single soul that has given their life for us is still watching over us because they still believe in F-R-E-E-D-O-M.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES FOR THE GREATEST SACRIFICE TO KEEP US SAFE AND FREE.

Today we celebrate you.

The story of Independence Day

By Tony Elliott – Special To The Garden Island

Published: Saturday, July 4, 2009 2:09 AM HST

Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States of America commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia.

In May, the colonies again sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. For almost a year, the congress tried to work out its differences with England, again without formally declaring war. By June 1776, their efforts had become hopeless and a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence.

Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft, which was presented to the congress on June 28. After various changes,

a vote was taken late in the afternoon of July 4.

Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the Fourth of July has been accepted as the official anniversary of United States independence. The first Independence Day celebration took place the following year, July 4, 1777.

By the early 1800s, the traditions of parades, picnics, and fireworks were established as the way to celebrate America’s birthday. And although fireworks have been banned in most places because of their danger, most towns and cities usually have big firework displays for all to see and enjoy.

Of the 13 colonies, nine voted in favor of the Declaration, two — Pennsylvania and South Carolina — voted no, Delaware was undecided, and New York abstained.

To make it official, John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock signed his name “with a great flourish” so “King George can read that without spectacles!”

The following day, copies of the Declaration were distributed. The first newspaper to print the Declaration was the Pennsylvania Evening Post on July 6. On July 8, the Declaration had its first public reading in Philadelphia’s Independence Square.

Twice that day the Declaration was read to cheering crowds and pealing church bells. Even the bell in Independence Hall was rung. The “Province Bell” would later be renamed “Liberty Bell” after its inscription — “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.”

At the time of the signing, the would-be United States consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of England’s King George III. There was growing unrest in the colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England, commonly referred to as “taxation without representation,” as the colonists were not represented in the English Parliament and had no say in what went on.

As the unrest grew in the colonies, King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion. In 1774, the 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia to form the First Continental Congress. The delegates were unhappy with England, but were not yet ready to declare war.

In April 1775, as the King’s troops advanced on Concord, Mass., Paul Revere would sound the alarm “The British are coming, the British are coming” as he rode his horse through the late night streets. The battle of Concord and its “shot heard round the world” would mark the unofficial beginning of the colonies’ war for Independence.