Last night our family enjoyed going to a fireworks celebration. In the past, especially after the 9/11 event, it has been a patriotic event where music was played to the fireworks display that stirred up my spirit to appreciate this country of freedom, reminded me of the millions who have sacrificed to keep These United States free, and spurred me on to not take for granted our freedoms but rather to keep watch and fight against those who would seek to take our freedoms. Last night...not so much. A couple of patriotic songs...but more it felt like a celebration. Why is that a problem? The stands were packed. Many people came to see the show. They were all celebrating, right? I wonder if they were there for fireworks...or to remember why there were fireworks (just like as a country we "celebrate" Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, etc but many (most??) people are not honoring the reason why we have those holidays in the first place). Were they thinking about our forefathers and the struggle they went through prior 1776, the incredibly momentous decision it was to Declare Independence, and then the endurance it took to persevere victoriously through the Revolutionary War. Did they consider what those men who stood on solid principles of considering the greater good went through as they agonized over finally choosing to write, and then the specific wording of the Declaration of Independence, and later the Constitution to insure the freedoms they were willing to die for so great was their conviction? Was there an overwhelming sense of the grace of God that we even have this country and the freedoms that are foundationally of Him? If so, it certainly was not the presentation or the music that would have brought those things to mind.
Today I plan to make a new home school area (it takes more space and prep for 5 kids instead of 2!), prepare home school materials for the next school year, and watch my son prepare his Raccoon for fair. I started to think about how I need to be sure to not take these freedoms for granted. We are blessed to have these freedoms and unfortunately it looks like we have to keep fighting for these freedoms. Thankfully we have the right to fight for our freedoms! I then reflected on our Constitution.
I - I am thankful for the freedom of religion. I can worship God, study His Word, teach my children about Him in school, and openly worship him at church and other locations.
II - I am thankful for the right to bear arms. While we do not use our "arms" to defend ourselves against people (hopefully we will not ever have to do that) we do appreciate the freedom we have to own guns and to hunt. This provides our family with 80% of the meat we eat in a year. It provides income for my husband, a taxidermist. Today my son is mounting a raccoon for the fair - this being a purely delightful byproduct of the right to hunt.
III - I am thankful that the military cannot come into my house and require that I house them. I never really understood the importance of this one until I was watching some educational movies with the kids re enacting what that was like in 1776. A very important freedom.
IV - I am thankful that we cannot have unreasonable search and seizures. I think about how people and missionaries in other countries do not have this right and the ramifications of it.
V and VI and VII and VIII and IX - I am thankful for due process in the legal system. In working in prisons for 9 years I came to the conclusion that many times perpetrators seem to have more rights than the victims. While the system is far from perfect, I am thankful for due process.
X and XI - while interstate compacts were a pain in adopting;) I am thankful for individual states rights.
XII and XV and XIX and XIV and XVII and XVIII and XX and XXIII and XXV and XXVI and XXVII and XXIV - I am very, very thankful for the right to vote for the president and other leadership. I will continue to exercise that right.
XIII - I am thankful that slavery is prohibited in our country...although the long term effects of racial issues to continue to rage on :(
XVI - yes, I am even happy that there is tax...just really believe it needs to be done differently!
XVIII and XXI - Hmmmm, what would life look like today with no alcoholic beverages?
Today I have the right to prepare to home educate my children in a way that meets state educational requirements but also allows me to teach them about God and the importance of God in every corner of their lives. I have the right to do this in the freedom of my own home without the fear of illegal searches. I have the right to call as my own children those who have different colored skin than I and know they will not have to be slaves or considered to be 4/5th of a person. I will be glad of the right that we have to bear arms. I have the right to vote for leadership and laws that will preserve these rights provided for in the constitution. I have the right to vote for leadership who BELIEVES in and will ADHERE to the constitution and the inalienable rights of these United States of America.
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