Celebrating Dependence Day
by Tom Buchanan
June 27, 2006

As the years parade by I wonder just what it is we celebrate on the Fourth of July.

The Founders fought to declare themselves free and independent from a tyrannical government. They toiled endlessly to conceive a nation of freedom and liberty, without government interference. They gave us a nation, not ruled by kings, but rather a government of the people, to do the will of the people.

The progressive leftists try to wear us down daily with a constant barrage of how evil America is and how we are to blame for the world's problems. It is their goal to make us so ashamed of America that we will hide our patriotism. Yet we still wave our flags. So, why are we waving our flags? Is it because we are a free and independent society based on self governance or are we just celebrating of a day off work?

We have been progressing in the direction of socialism for decades and we are picking up the pace. First there was income tax, and then social security and the concept of withholding taxes before we get paid. Then the great society along with Medicare and Medicaid and now the government controlled prescription drug plan. The list of entitlements has grown at an astonishing pace. This creates a dependency that will be harder to break free from than drug addiction.

Then there are the politicians who ignore the will of the little people on issues such as illegal immigration and taxation.

We have come a long way since 1961 when Democratic President John Kennedy said, “ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Are we celebrating Independence Day in the spirit of our Founder's vision of freedom or Dependence Day, the vision of the socialist nanny state that will provide us with everything, provided we give our allegiance to the government?

As you enjoy the holiday with your children think about what kind of future we are leaving them. Will it be one where they enjoy freedom and liberty or will they be paying the piper for our selfishness and fear of not being regulated enough?

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