America is celebrating 250 years of stars, stripes, and the sound of freedom ringing! The United States started as a dream all those years ago, a dream to pray without a monarchy dictating where one should kneel, to choose and elect our own leaders based on merit rather than birthright, to speak freely and challenge those in power without fear of punishment.
This dream was one worth fighting for and fight they did. So much so that a misfit army of nobodies dared to face the most powerful nation in the world, and by sheer grit, determination, and perhaps a little bit of luck, they sent the red coats back across the Atlantic. Every reason existed for them to fail, yet they persisted. Somehow, they understood that this great nation of ours was worth fighting tooth and nail for.
The push for American independence did not exist only within the heart and minds of Washington, Jefferson, or Adams. It lived and breathed in every bead of sweat that glistened off the brow of the soldiers who fought the uphill battle. It existed in every shaky breath during the riveting conversations and plans of the Sons of Liberty. It came from an immense hunger for freedom that existed within ordinary people. On July 4th, 1776, Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, sending a message to the world that The United States of America would not be intimidated. The greatest county in the world came to life because every day individuals refused to accept that things couldn’t get any better.
Let us never take for granted our blessings of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, for they have not come cheaply. May we never grow complacent in our responsibility to uphold our principles and ideals. This weekend as you’re celebrating, please join with me in recommitting ourselves to cultivate a generation of individuals with the same sense of courage, fortitude and spirit to serve their country and fellow mankind as our Founders and our Armed Services.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.