Happy 4th of July
Statement
Happy 4th of July
Two-hundred and thirty-three years ago our founding fathers in Philadelphia set out on a great experiment. A nation conceived in liberty and a nation free from tyrannical rule with certain unalienable rights towards its citizens. The American experiment has gone through some revisions over the years, but those revisions have made our nation even stronger.
In America, freedom is celebrated, not condemned. People are free to speak out against government and determine who makes the laws which govern the land. We are free to worship any religion we choose or none at all; free to express ourselves without fear of persecution. People from different backgrounds can become whoever they want to be with a little hard work. Freedom in America is not just a word; it is who we are. While you celebrate America's birthday with family and friends please do not take for granted what a great country you live in.
One only has to look to Iran to see the other side of the spectrum. With what appears to be the fixed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the people of Iran, have tried to protest only to be beaten back by the tyrannical regime. Foreign press cannot report because the Iranian government has put a stoppage on all reporting except for the state run news service. Seeing the images that have made it out of Iran are troubling, but at the same time hopeful.
The people of Iran want to be free from a theocratic regime and the images of them protesting and fighting back against their oppressors are
promising. It would be unwise to think that Iran will look like America someday. But an Iranian form of democracy would help stabilize the entire Middle East. I just hope that President Obama does not placate the Iranian regime for a short term political gain.
America has always been a beacon of freedom. We live in a world where other nations do not even come close to the freedoms we share here in America. That is why the American experiment is unique. We are always changing, but at the end of the day we still have our core values that we hold to a higher standard.
So I hope as you celebrate the 4th of July this year with your families and friends you take a minute and reflect what happened 233 years ago in Philadelphia. Freedom was born there, and it has forever kept men and women believing in the fight for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. God bless you and God bless America.
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