Independence Day

Happy freedom day to all. Of course, freedom means different things to each of us, though it is always a removal of burden. To some, freedom means a lack of coercion and ease of expression. To others, freedom is gained through dependence on a greater and stronger force. It's one thing to be free from a negative, but it is greater to go through the process full circle and to be free through and in.

On a lighter note and anecdote, I remember the 1993 Boy Scout Jamboree in Ft. Lee, VA, where thousands of scouts and I watched Lee Greenwood sing 'Proud to be an American' on a humid summer night in the clear sky with fireworks going off. As he sang lines from respective states, such as "lakes of Minnesota" and "hills of Tennessee," each state cheered. I'm not sure what he would say for NJ (my home state), but for a state that contains Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty (within its boundaries), pivotal Revolutionary War battles, and the best university in the nation; perhaps something could be said. In 1995 I was privileged to attend the World Boy Scout Jamboree in Holland. I made sure that my troop carried the American flag with pride. My patriotism has matured since then, especially in light of my religious beliefs (and current foreign policy), but I'm still "...proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free; and I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me."