Mornin' Tweeps! It's Wednesday, July 4th, aka Independence Day! Happy 242nd Birthday to the greatest country on this planet! Never in the history of mankind has there been a country like this, with the freedoms that we have. Never. Not one.
No other country has a Constitution such as ours, stating specifically that all rights of the People are derived not from Government, but are inalienable, meaning that government cannot restrict or remove those rights.
Those Rights are codified in the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, the first of which lays the foundation for all of the others that follow, with the second amendment being in place to protect the first, and therefore, all others.
The First Amendment guarantees the following:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
No other country guarantees the freedom OF religion, meaning that you are free to worship, or not, as you please. There is NO state religion here, such as the Church of England, or other religions mandated elsewhere.
If you want to be a Baptist, or a Mormon, Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox, Amish, Pentecostal, Unitarian, etc., etc., etc., you are free do be that. If you so choose not to belong to any Church at all, you are also free to do that.
If you want to go out into the public square and pontificate on whatever subject in a speech, you are free to do so, even if what you are saying is critical of the Government. No one can prevent you from doing that, in spite of what some try to claim.
All of us have opinions, and all of us are free to express those opinions, whether they are based in fact or fantasy. It doesn't matter. You have something to say? You are free to do so. You can't do that in many countries, but here you can.
Disregarding the current state of affairs with many in the media, our press is still free to broadcast what they wish to cover, with no Government censorship or fear of reprisal from the Government for anything reported that may be critical.
There are many examples of other countries that I could list where this is not true, where Government has the final say so over what is aired or printed, or even tells the press what they are to say or print. That is not the case here.
Do you want to gather together to protest something? You are free to do so, as we see on any given day. The Government cannot legally prevent you from doing so. Try doing that without Government ire elsewhere.
Have a grievance with the Government? You have the right to petition for a redress of that grievance. Although in some other countries this is allowed, it is only allowed at the pleasure of those Governments.
Here, it is not only allowed, but it is guaranteed. The Government cannot legally prevent you from petitioning them for a redress of whatever grievance you think you have suffered. All of these is what makes America unique among nations.
I am so blessed to have been born in this country. I have been to other countries, and while my experiences there were, for the most part, pleasant I would not want to live there, as I would be giving up many of the freedoms I have here.
In my youth, because I didn't understand what the country stood for, and how it was brought about through strife, war, and the sacrifice of many, I took the freedoms we have here for granted. As I aged, and gained at least some amount
Of wisdom, I came to understand what this country is all about, what our freedoms are all about, and what it took to get those freedoms, and I have come to cherish those freedoms, and this country, and the People.
On this 242nd Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, as you go about whatever you are going to do today, please take some time to reflect on what it is to be an American and what it means to have the freedoms we enjoy today
Because of decisions made so long ago by those willing to lay down their lives for the ideals they believed in so deeply. They were willing to throw off the chains of tyranny for freedom. Let us resolve to not throw off those freedoms for chains.
