MY VIEW
Tom Waters: Cherish your freedom on Independence Day
Some holidays are little more than a reason to buy a greeting card or a fair excuse to take a paid day off from work. Aside from the fireworks and the nice weather, Independence Day didn’t get to be one of my favorites until my mid to late 20s.
As a man in my early 30s, it’s fast becoming a new favorite in terms of the holiday rotation not so much because of the bells, whistles and frills, but because of what it stands for: freedom, liberty and our American way of life.
I’m not ashamed in this day and age to proclaim proudly that I’m a Republican. I grew up in a small town with middle-class values and I was raised by my parents to work hard for everything that I have and taught early on to respect authority as well as my elders.
Although I’ve never been in any branch of our U. S. military, I’ve had generations of relatives in both families who have served. I’m grateful for the sacrifices that these men and women have made for my country and I realize that the lifestyle we often take for granted simply wouldn’t be were it not for their faithful service and the sacrifices that so many of our citizens have made on our nation’s behalf.
In the last few years, the Fourth of July has come to mean more to me than cookouts, roman candles or bonfire parties on the beach until dawn—although all of those elements are a part of our celebrations.
The Fourth of July is a reminder of our freedom as a people, as a democracy and as a country that I’m fortunate to be a part of. While many of our residents find it in vogue or fashionable to badmouth the war or our long-standing practice of helping other countries in their time of need or injustice, this is what makes our United States such a wonderful place to live in, and it’s one of the main reasons why we are afforded a way of life that seems luxurious and decadent by the standards of other countries.
I wouldn’t trade my citizenship for any cultural pantheon in Europe or the lushest tropical island in the world. I was born in Buffalo, nestled comfortably inside the United States of America, and I have every intention of dying here of old age (if I’m lucky).
This is true even during an economy that’s darkest before the dawn, in the middle of a war that angers many of our voters, during a recession where our traditional work force is evolving whether we like it or not.
Being an American citizen shouldn’t mean taking the best of times for granted and asking what our country can do for us when things look bleak. I do what I can for my friends, my fellow voters, my community and my country — and everyone else should, too.
The older I get, the more I learn to love and appreciate what my country means to me and the freedoms that we’ve worked so hard to earn, maintain and often take for granted.
Independence Day is a yearly embodiment of these freedoms and a celebration of the democracy we were fortunate enough to be born into. Millions of men and women have fought and died to defend the country we live in, and there are only a few days out of the year when we stop to recognize and appreciate this fact.
In addition to the firecrackers, barbecues and boat rides, I’m proud to be an American. Right down to the very marrow of my being.
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