Today, we celebrate the 237th anniversary of the United States independence from England. Today, we celebrate the freedom our forefathers fought so hard to give us. Today, we celebrate the freedoms our forefathers bestowed upon each and every one of us. Today, we celebrate the unanimous independence declaration our founding fathers adopted with the words inscribed on the most historic piece in American existence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Today, we celebrate the United States of America.
With the recent events in Egypt and the ongoing situation in Syria, we sometimes forget that we take the freedoms that have been bestowed upon us for granted. Where else can we go and speak openly and freely as we can in the United States? For most of us, we don’t have to worry whether we’ll return home once we leave because of ongoing political warfare being waged in our city streets. We live in a mostly peaceful country and we enjoy a significant amount of rights that cannot be infringed upon. Our Constitution is the longest serving living Constitution in the entire world. While poverty certainly is a major concern in the United States, we are not a third world country where food is scarce, where we have a widely corrupt government and have to worry whether we’ll have clean drinking water or not. We are given the tools to pursue the lives we want to live, with limited restrictions.
While we don’t always agree with where this country should go and how to get there, and have serious partisanship issues, we live in the greatest country in the world. I am proud to be an American. Last week, we celebrated major leaps forward in the United States in regards to treating all of our citizens equally. We still have significant work to do in a lot of areas, but I am excited for the path we are headed down. One day we all will be treated the same regardless of our skin color, our gender, our religion, or even our sexual orientation. For a moment, we can set aside our differences and unite around each other to celebrate the birth of this great nation. The fights we will have can be put on hold for a day as we reflect the true nature and intent of the United States of America.
As you go about your day today, take some time to be grateful for the great nation we live in. Take time to think about those that have given the ultimate sacrifice in the name of our country. Think of those people that are still out in the world protecting our homeland and cannot celebrate this great day with their loved ones. Enjoy your time with your friends and family. We truly are privileged to live in the best country in the world. I hope you enjoy great food, great friends, great family and see some spectacular fireworks. Stay safe America, and please remember to not drink and drive! Happy 4th of July everyone!
The Political Queer 