My lovely editor, Julie, has asked me numerous times to write my articles about upcoming holidays. The problem is that I write and send my articles two to six weeks ahead of time. For me to remember holidays coming up a month from now requires a lot more planning than I can really spare. That probably explains why my weekly column was absent from the newspaper the week of Father’s Day. Sorry, Julie!
But Fourth of July is different. It’s honestly one of my absolute favorite holidays, ranking above Easter, and a really tight third behind Thanksgiving and Christmas. The years when the kids don’t make it home, it’s my number one favorite.
Why? There are so many reasons! First, it combines my love of God with my love of country. The United States of America is founded on basic Judeo-Christian principles, and our forefathers died defending both their faith and their country. And I’m forever grateful.
Second, my oldest son, Nathan is a sergeant in the Texas National Guard. Okay, he’s defending Texas, but he’s been deployed overseas and defended our country too. And, having lived in Texas, I can vouch for their creditability. They deserve to be defended and protected, and I’m happy to donate my child for that task. Nathan, along with about three million others, spend their days protecting our freedoms. And we have so many!
Which brings me to my third point: our freedom. Sure, we whine and complain that food prices are so high and we have potholes in our roads (I’m definitely in that group of whiners). But if we turn on the news, or search for videos of other countries, we’ll discover we’re an incredibly blessed group of people. America is still the greatest nation in the world, no matter our problems.
On November 11, 1947, Winston S. Churchill was quoted as saying, “Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time…” Well said, Winston, well said.
So on July 4th, no matter your method of celebrating, rejoice and be thankful. We are truly blessed. And to the whiners and the complainers who scream that America is unfair or mean or hateful, I say this: I can’t hear you over the sound of my freedom.
Jann Goar Franklin graduated Russellville High School in 1989. You can reach her at jann@jannfranklin.com