Would You Stand Up For Freedom?

Today is July 4^th, 2013.  American Independence Day.  Two hundred thirty-seven years ago today the founding fathers adopted the Declaration of Independence that initiated the Revolutionary War and eventually won our freedom from Great Britain.  Those men pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to the future of the United States of America.  Then they set about to make their dream a reality.

I wonder – would the people of this country today have the courage and the vision to do what our founders did?  If it came down to preserving liberty or living under tyranny – would Americans choose the dangers of fighting for liberty or would they simply bow down to a tyrant and follow like sheep?

Don’t misunderstand and get all excited - I’m not advocating a revolution.  I’m merely wondering if Americans today still have the backbone it would take to fight an all-out war for independence.  Certainly there are some – but in the days of the revolution, when the founding fathers told England they would no longer stand for her tyrannical rule, they knew a war was imminent.  They knew their actions would lead to war with England and that their countrymen (and some of them) would have to fight and die to make it happen.  Do we have the courage to do that today?  If our government became so bad that we were no longer free – would Americans turn against the government even if it meant a civil war?  I’m not so sure they would.

Americans are becoming more and more dependent on a government that enjoys handing out “entitlements.”  (Webster’s Dictionary defines entitlement as:  a right to benefits specified especially by law or contract.)  With more people receiving benefits today than at any other time in history – would those people turn against a government that is giving them their livelihood?  Are there enough patriots still around today to oppose the government if it was necessary?

One advantage the founders had back then was that most of the people in the colonies had left England because they wanted their freedom and they wanted to get away from the rule of the king.  And they were ready to do what was necessary to preserve that freedom once they had a taste of it.  The British had full, trained and ready armies with which to fight and the Americans had a few militias and a bunch of farmers with hunting rifles.  But the Americans had the advantage that prevailed – determination.

So on this 237^th birthday of the United States of America I ask you – do you care enough about your country and your freedoms to do whatever is necessary to preserve them should the need arise?  Would you risk your life, your fortune and your sacred honor to defend them today?  The average lifespan of a democratic government is just over 200 years.  Guess where we are?

Happy birthday, America.  May you have many, many more.