PEA RIDGE — The Fourth of July, Independence Day, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776, when the 13 colonies of America declared independence from Great Britain.
John Adams wrote: “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch 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 shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore. ”
The declaration was dated July 4 after receiving final approval from the Continental Congress.
This year, because of dry weather conditions, burn bans have been issued by both municipal and county governments. Firefighters have been called upon nearly every day recently to extinguish fires, some caused by the illegal lighting of fireworks.
Some people are decrying the burn bans, but the lighting of fireworks is not what Independence Day is about, although it is traditional.
As we observe and celebrate this day, let us remember what it means to be free. As Americans, we’ve been free for so long, that many of us truly have no idea ofwhat the obverse is.
Let us consider what others have said about our freedoms which many in this world do not enjoy.
◊Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. Thomas Paine
◊He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself. Thomas Paine
◊The American Revolution was a beginning, not a consummation. Woodrow Wilson
◊Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have. Harry Emerson Fosdick
◊Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. Dwight D. Eisenhower
◊In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. Franklin D. Roosevelt
◊This, then, is the state of the union: Free and restless, growing and full of hope.
So it was in the beginning.
So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith. Lyndon B. Johnson
◊For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail? Ralph Waldo Emerson
◊It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. Author unknown, sometimes attributed to M.
Grundler◊◊◊
Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County. A native of Louisiana, she moved to this area in 1980. She has nine children, four sonsin-law, three grandsons, a granddaughter and another grandson due in September. She can be reached at [email protected].
Opinion, Pages 4 on 07/04/2012