We hear the age-old cliché that “Freedom Isn’t Free” and readily acknowledge the truth, but have we truly calculated the Cost of Freedom?  This date, July 4^th, is recognized as Independence Day in America and should inspire pride, hope, courage, and determination in the hearts of ALL American Citizens. 

Notice I did not say Legal American Citizens, for there are no other kinds of American Citizens but Legal.  Yes, there are people living here who are illegal occupants, and that, according to our laws, is a Crime, but that is another topic for another time.

America’s Independence was a costly endeavor then, and preserving it is now!   In 1776, the colonists put their lives, families, and fortunes on the line by joining the rebellion and becoming Freedom Fighters in America.   They risked their possessions and lives to pursue an ideal that all should be Free to enjoy “Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness.” 

They bravely joined themselves to the ideal and belief that there should be Freedom to practice one’s religion without government interference.  They believed there was a right to keep and bear arms and that private property was never to be confiscated without due cause and via the courts.   Many lost everything to secure those rights and liberties and did so with the thought that successive generations would valiantly and continuously preserve those for the next generation.

John Adams said: “Posterity, you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom.  I hope you will make good use of it.  If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that ever I took half the pains to preserve it.” 

With the current state of affairs in this great nation, I fear Mr. Adams must be repenting if he is aware of what is transpiring.   When I think of the host of lives lost and forever altered in the fight for Freedom and to protect our Freedom, I weep.  I am a Vietnam veteran and know the horrors of war and salute the incalculable price paid for Freedom by so many in our history and in the present.   July 4^th is more than a holiday to me. It is a Memorial, a Reminder, and an Objective!

The colonists had to repel the British in more than just the American Revolution.  Whenever a threat presented itself in America, Americans rose to the occasion.   The cost of living has become astronomical.  Admittedly, Congress and Presidents have not always acted wisely, prudently, or effectively, and have cost Americans much in the process. Still, Americans have felt the call of patriotism and risen to the cause.  We saw a glimpse of that spirit after 9/11, but that has abated, and we have largely reverted to the post-Vietnam mindset.

When the world was threatened in WWI, Americans rose to the occasion.  Then, in WWII, the sacrifices of the generation identified as the “Greatest Generation” should grip the hearts of even the most callous individual.  Americans on the battlefield and the home front embraced the sacrifices required and did what had to be done.  They believed freedom was worth the sacrifice and that anything short of complete victory was defeat. 

What happened after WWII is speculative, but that mindset had changed by the time the Korean War emerged.  For the first time in our history, we demonstrated a lack of resolve to finish the job and win a complete victory.  That shift has produced devastating results. 

My generation of Vietnam veterans experienced an even harsher attitude.  We were branded as “baby killers, rapists, murders and terrorists” and placed on watch lists as dangers or menaces to society.  We were and possibly still are feared and viewed as subhuman.

Today, I pray that everyone will pause a moment from their barbeques, fireworks, boating, and beer and consider the price paid to afford you the luxury and privilege to do what you are doing.  I pray that everyone pause and consider what is at stake today in America, how our freedoms are being assaulted, and determine the cost we are willing to pay to preserve our Freedom.   The Freedom you now enjoy was not without cost, and if we fail to remember our heroes and those who sacrificed, we will soon become an afterthought in World History. 

I conclude with this question and thought: “What Does Independence Mean?”  I do not say that rhetorically.  When I look back to the history surrounding 1776 and attempt to envision the mindset of those living in the colonies, I sense an urgency that is largely absent today.  I sense an awareness of what Independence means that does not seem to exist.  Our Liberties have spoiled us and are in danger of losing them due to ignorance and failure to fathom life without liberty.

When I fast forward to the more modern era, I consider the American resolve in WWI and WWII and proudly salute those patriots and citizens.  When I move a bit forward to Korea and Vietnam, I see a visible diminishing of the resolve to win or die.  The American attitude during the World Wars was, “Win!  Finish the Job!”  It was about preserving Freedom and Liberty. 

America can remain free with God’s help, the needed resolve, and the willingness to lay aside petty differences and preferences.  If we are to remain free, everyone must be free!  I stand for Faith, Family, and Freedom and ask you to join me in Prayer for America and the world and to become involved at whatever level and to whatever extent you believe God would have you invest yourself.

God bless you, and God bless America!