today is July 4th, and you all know what that means, right?

[Art Anderson]

Oh yeah, to most it means grilling out, going to the lake and running the boat fast, with water skiers out astern, famly and friends, fireworks and all that. But what does today really mean?

Well, for starters, it means a bunch of fed-up colonials along the east coast, from Maine to Georgia, got fed up with a British King who cared not one whit about these shores, save for the taxes he could exact from the colonists' hard work, while denying them real representation in the British Parliament in London. It meant a couple dozen men willing to risk it all, their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor (as they called it so well) to be defiant in the face of an absolute monarch, the king of the most powerful nation on earth, that they were determined to be free, to set their own course, and in that, have all people in England's American colonies (then the crown jewels of the British Empire) be able to determine their own destiny. And to that end, 8 years of bitter war ensued, thousands of brave Americans died to make that dream as reality.

Of course, it wasn't perfect, it would take another war for real independence 1812-14, and a horrible Civil War in 1861-65 to cement not only our independence, but set this entire country on the path of equal freedom for all, but on July 4, 1776, those patriots stood up for all of us, then and forever more.

This poem gets read frequently at Ross-Ade Stadium at Purdue, just before our National Anthem. It was written in 1966 by the late Jack Scott here in Lafayette, a former Marine Corps general and publisher of our local newspaper. By tradition, it's read over the strains of "America The Beautiful" before a football game at home here. Please read, and think about these words--they are profound, I think!

"I Am An American" by Jack C Scott

Art Anderson

[Guest]

Amen, Art, Amen. If I say anymore, I will get into trouble, and cause a big rant.

[charlzrocks]

I wholeheartedly agree! Happy Independance Day!

God Save the Queen (and all that rot). . .

but God Bless The U.S.A.!!

[walt francis]

And this gives this day more meaning to Me and my wife

[coopdad]

Well said Art!

I think the part that means so much to me (and should to others) is that people in this country have volunteered to risk or even lose their life for the principles that the founding fathers set out. Sitting in my comfortable home, eating as much food as I want, it is easy to forget.

I know it is easy to say but thank you veterans for your personal sacrifice.

John & family

[crazyjim]

Happy Birthday to the greatest country in the world!!

God bless our troops.

God bless the USA.

[charlie8575]

Well-put, Art. After nine years of teaching, it horrifies me that so many of our youths simply do not understand, or even more terrifying, care, about what you said, even as things are as they are at the present. Perhaps if we started reinforcing values like patriotism in school instead of bubble tests, we might help start turning things around. We can all hope it happens before it really is too late.

And I like that poem. I'm surprised I've never seen or heard it before.

I'm going to transcribe a copy of it for myself.

Charlie Larkin

Edited July 4, 2010 by charlie8575

[jas1957]

Every day I get up & thank God that my various ancestors a hundred + years ago from all over Europe had the brains & nerve to take a step into the unknown that a journey to America was. I can't think of any other place I would want to live & raise my child !!

[Peter Lombardo]

Hey Art, one thing is very certain to me....The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[sjordan2]

Thank you for your eloquent thoughts.

[Jim Gibbons]

Thanks, Art. Well said.

[FordWagonNut]

Very well stated.