Happy Birthday, USA!

On a happier note:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Others have said it more eloquently than I could, but our Founding Fathers were genius.

I would hope that everyone working in government regularly re-reads this document, as well as the Bill of Rights (I'd like them to read the whole Constitution but I suppose I must be practical). The fundamental ideas of those two documents, in particular - may we never forget them. May we never decide we'd rather have perfect security than liberty. May we never decide we'd rather sit and be entertained than work to protect and maintain the rights named above. May we never choose to abolish democracy in favor of some more-restrictive but (apparently) easier form of government. (As much as I joke about being a closet monarchist, I really am not).

And may others around the world suffering under unjust governments, where the leaders are as given to whimsy and arrogance of their subjects' needs as George III was, read these documents, come up with their own version, and try some form of the "American experiment" in their own country.

I'm not doing much to "celebrate" today - I didn't inherit the "fireworks gene" that runs in my family (the gene that makes you want to shoot off fireworks, even if it's just bottle rockets. And I think that must be a Y-chromosome-linked gene, given how it operates in my family). I'm not big on cookouts. And, in fact, I need to get some work done on a research presentation I'm giving in a few weeks. So I am going in to work today. But then again - that's exercising my freedom; there is no one saying I must (for example) spend the day bowing down to a portrait of Thomas Jefferson.

But still, I felt I had to mark the day somehow.

comment and counter-comment

Heard on the news: "Relief agencies are amazed at the outpouring of donations and help in response to the wildfires."

My immediate response: "Well, duh! That's how Americans ARE."

Seriously - there are a lot of societal problems here, there are some problems with the country BUT when bad crap happens, people step up and help and do all kinds of unselfish loving acts.

And I thank God that my countrypeople are, by and large, like that.

Happy Independence Day

Just a quick additional note: Happy Independence Day to all. (I prefer that designation to "the Fourth of July." It sounds more Founding-Fathers-ish to me.)

My thoughts and prayers are with our troops around the world, for their safety and success. (And also prayers for families of those in the military - it is a sacrifice to have your loved one far away, and possibly in harm's way).

I am very thankful for all of the blessings of liberty that I enjoy, being a citizen of this nation. And I often think of Churchill's comment (which I may be misquoting) that democracy is the worst system of government, except for all the others.

It is true we may have problems in this country - but we also have tons of good things, things we all share in - freedom to choose whatever religion (or none) you consider is right, the freedom to complain about the government if you don't like what they're doing, the responsibility to vote (but also the freedom to slack and not-vote if you want to). And, as a woman, it's not lost on me that I am free in this country to not marry if I choose not to - even to have children "out of wedlock" if I so chose - and the government can't say boo about it. I'm also free to own my own house and hold down a career. And go shopping without an "escort" and read/watch/listen to whatever I choose.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Simple ideas - simple rights that Jefferson said we all had - but so powerful. May we always continue to have those rights, and may people in countries where those rights are not currently guaranteed come to know, have, and love those rights.