Independence Day!

The first day of July always brings about a certain passion in me. And that passion is the Fourth of July. This day has always held a special place inside me.

But what is this day if it's not about fireworks (which it is if you happen to be a Chinese fireworks peddler)? I honestly have to say that the fireworks are what do it for me! I know that is selfish and a bit contrite on my part.

Don't get me wrong, I very much understand the meaning behind this day. I understand it's symbolism and importance; however, I think in the hub-bub of the day we forget what is exactly at stake.

The United States is coming upon its 228th birthday this Sunday. We have changed greatly as a country and people since that somber July day so long ago. We have fought world superpowers, only to become ourselves the greatest of the them all. We have engaged enemies from within our own ranks and sought patriotism through triumph and adversity.

With that said, are we the same nation founded on such grandiose ideals in 1776? Like a baby emerging from the womb into the greater world outside, so is the story of America. We were shaped not by the swords and bullets of our own conquering hordes, but by the simplistic and greater honor of our desire to stand as a free, sovereign nation in the face of a tyrant. Our nation was the first of such freedom fighters, and the greatest. We inspired other great nations, like the French to emerge from their oppression under the French monarchy (although Louis XVI was fairly benign).

Not only were we the first, but the best example of freedom. The nation that faced down the world's greatest military with only a small militia of farmers and common folk (and the backing of the French). We, as a people and nation, have abandoned this simple philosophy. We have grown beyond the roots of our ancestors and we have become the same oppressor that we successfully stood against. Our nation has become a police state led by an oligarchy of paranoid elitists.

We are no longer a nation whose leaders are sought and elected for their values, strength, and integrity, but for the amount of money they receive from special interests' groups. Specifically, the presidency has become a popularity contest that is fought and won through television advertisements, mud-slinging, and generally negative campaigning. Our founders would not agree with this type of government.

Although, we still embrace the skeleton they created, the United States' body is grossly mis-shapen. It has emerged as a figure of tyranny and regret. It stands upon the blood of the countless individuals who sacrificed themselves in the name of justice, honor, and freedom, but their memories are rememebered with unjust war and oppression of a different kind. Our freedoms are trampled by a government that is more interested in its own political agenda, rather than the personal liberties of its people and their general welfare. Simply, the oppressed have become the oppressors and they are slaves to their destiny.

As we celebrate this 228th year of our independence from tyranny, let's not forget that another form of tyranny (even more sinister) awaits us tomorrow. If we continue to escalate in the way that we have in the recent decade we can only hurl ourselves into decline and decay. It is a story as old as Rome. The Roman Empire stood as the beacon of civilization to the world, but in its ambition it met its downfall.

Like Rome, today we have leaders who care more about their political futures than the needs of those they represent. Like Rome, we have leaders who care more about their legacies than the stability of the nation. They are leaders who make secret deals with the enemy in dark alley-ways while they publically disdain them. They are ignorant of their actions, but the solution resides in each of us. We have the power (for now) to break free from this cycle of history and seek a different, more fulfilling path for every citizen.

We must not forget that we are a nation "by the people, and for the people." And not a nation "by the souls, sweat, and tears, of the people, and for the wealthy, privileged few." If we do not claim our rights as the majority, then we become cynical and apathetic to the cause our founders set in motion so long ago. In the long run, we stand to become a footnote in the great history of our planet, like the Roman Empire. A great society that crumbled to dust through its own poor leadership, dimmed vision, and inability to embrace change and diversity from within itself and the world.