by Jo Ann Wentzel

Created on: July 02, 2009   Last Updated: July 04, 2009

July Fourth is a day commemorating our birth as a nation. It was born out of strife and sacrifice just as anything worth having usually is born. We became a nation so we could live independently without a monarch dictating what we could and could not do.

As we celebrate the fourth of July remember these facts. In order to be truly independent, we must have the freedom to live as we see fit. This means the government should not dictate to us things which should be no concern of theirs.

Government is growing and that was never the intent of our forefathers. They wanted to rule themselves with less interference, not more. We wished for the freedom to speak our minds and practice religious freedom. Those were two of the reasons we chose to rule ourselves. They refused to be taxed when they had no say in their laws or government. We should be taking a look at our country today and asking ourselves, Do we still have the freedoms we were supposed to have after we became independent? some folks do not believe we do.

I love this country of ours and feel it is the greatest in the world which is why we cannot stand back and let any law or bill pass that does not do what is best for the people. Although we are by far better than any other country; we are not perfect and neither is our government.

We must protect all our freedoms and rights in a civilized and lawful way. We must all become activists by taking five or ten minutes a day to write to our representatives about how we feel about what is happening in our country today. We must be able to hear the truth as it is spoken in the media and discard what other commentators spew about the greatness of every plan this government is trying to implement.

Citizens of this great USA have the right to bear arms, but that is just moments away from being tampered with by those in charge.

Our government should not become the leaders in industry or manufacturing; that role should remain in the private sector as should banking and mortgages. Currently, the government is taking more and more away from our democratic and capitalist origins.

If we allow the government to tell us how we can be insured and who we can see and when and if; we are losing a very important freedom and right.

We are spending at an alarming rate and congress does not only pass legislation that will hurt our country, but doesn't even read it before voting. We, as the people, must object to that behavior. We cannot elect people who do not represent us and just do whatever they want to do.

This country is too wonderful to give in to policies which will harm its own people. The magnificence of the land we call the USA is unparalleled anywhere. The wealth and resources we once had are being squandered and not for things most of us would even approve of- so why are we letting it happen?

So as you are watching parades, enjoying BBQ's, delighting to fireworks ask yourselves, How can I do my part to restore this great nation to its former grandeur? And when you decide- do it!

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