{"id":2374,"date":"2002-07-04T11:33:04","date_gmt":"2002-07-04T16:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/?p=2374"},"modified":"2002-07-04T11:33:04","modified_gmt":"2002-07-04T16:33:04","slug":"independence_da","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2002\/07\/04\/independence_da.html","title":{"rendered":"Independence Day<\/font>"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve always enjoyed the Fourth of July. Fireworks were a part of it, of course. For many years, my family would go hiking on the fourth, and then, driving down from the mountains, watch the fireworks shows across the LA metro area.<\/p>\n

But this year there’s more than that.<\/p>\n

It’s not all just about 9-11, though that’s a big part of it. That day made us think as a nation, even for a few brief instants, rather than a jockeying cluster of special interests. We <\/i>were being attacked. It didn’t matter what color we were, what ethnic origin, what religion, who we’d voted for in November, what job we had, what our 401(k) looked like … we were all <\/i>under attack. We the People, to coin a phrase. “We must all hang together, or we will surely hang separately,” as Ben Franklin said.<\/p>\n

And even though the unity of that day has faded from the landscape, it’s still there, in the bedrock, a reminder, a hint, a subliminal suggestion. <\/p>\n

And, in some ways, that’s focused us more. The Pledge decision, school vouchers, privacy, security, stewardship of the environment, economic success, honesty and fraud — all of these sorts of things were being talked about before 9-11. That day put them into a context<\/i>. What does this nation <\/i>stand for? What are our <\/i>goals, its ideals? What truths do we <\/i>hold as self-evident any more? What rights do we <\/i>believe in? What must we <\/i>to do protect those rights? The questions all apply to each individual as much as to our collective society.<\/p>\n

Just as the crushing weight of overseas oppression was the fire under the crucible in 1776, so the crushing weight of the 20th Century, sparked by the fiery attacks on 9-11, are the fire under a new crucible. We’re no longer wondering, “Where did we go wrong?” Instead, we’re wondering, “Where do we go from here?”<\/p>\n

I don’t know what the answer is to that question. I have my opinions, but there are 250 million others out there, too, and part of the delicate balance of our government is respecting both the majority and the minority. There will be missteps — the Founders went down some odd roads on their way to 1789 and the Constitution — but they got through theirs, and I trust we’ll get through ours. <\/p>\n

The signers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to their declaration, to their cause. One way or another, that’s what at stake for us, today, too, whether we “sign on” or not. Because indepedence, ultimately, is about taking responsibility for ourselves, for what we believe in, for what we do and for what we say, individually and collectively. For ourselves, and for our nation. It’s a great freedom, and a heavy burden, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt, and folding is a real and meaningful a decision as playing it out.<\/p>\n

Happy Independence Day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve always enjoyed the Fourth of July. Fireworks were a part of it, of course. For many years, my family would go hiking on the fourth, and then, driving down…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal","category-politics-law"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":137800,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2019\/02\/12\/donald-trump-wants-to-own-the-washington-dc-fourth-of-july-parade.html","url_meta":{"origin":2374,"position":0},"title":"Donald Trump wants to … own the Washington, DC, Fourth of July Parade?","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 12-Feb-19 7:37pm","format":false,"excerpt":"But he's pretending like it's all his own idea. You know. To have a parade. On the 4th of July in Washington, DC. I mean, who'd ever be zany enough to do something so crazy-patriotic like that?I mean, it's not like they don't already have a huge parade and festivities\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43354,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/07\/05\/quoth-john-adams-i-see-fireworks.html","url_meta":{"origin":2374,"position":1},"title":"Quoth John Adams, "I see fireworks!"","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 5-Jul-14 10:21am","format":false,"excerpt":"Had a very nice time up at +Stan Pedzick\u00a0and +Mary Oswell's place for Fourth of July. \u00a0Enjoyed grilled goods with Jackie and Scott and Kaylee, then, after the headed off to some sporting event, wandered down the street a ways to watch the Westminster fireworks show.A pleasant evening amongst good\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/IMG_20140704_213542488.jpg.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":138752,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2019\/05\/14\/trumpdependence-day.html","url_meta":{"origin":2374,"position":2},"title":"Trumpdependence Day","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 14-May-19 12:01am","format":false,"excerpt":"Donald Trump has decided that the 4th of July is a great time for a political rally","rel":"","context":"In "~Tweets"","block_context":{"text":"~Tweets","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/tweets"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39248,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2013\/10\/19\/watched-fireworks-since-every.html","url_meta":{"origin":2374,"position":3},"title":"Watched fireworks, since every…","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 19-Oct-13 10:58pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Watched fireworks, since everything we wanted was closed during them. Only to find afterward everything was very longlined. #Disneyland","rel":"","context":"In "~Tweets"","block_context":{"text":"~Tweets","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/tweets"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":47,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2003\/07\/07\/weekend_round_u-3.html","url_meta":{"origin":2374,"position":4},"title":"Weekend round-up: Miscellaneous","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 7-Jul-03 6:29am","format":false,"excerpt":"It's been quite hot. The subject of air conditioning has come up once again. We'll probably be getting an estimate. In the meantime, fans keep us sane, cool evenings let...","rel":"","context":"In "Weather (mine)"","block_context":{"text":"Weather (mine)","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/weather-and-seasons"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":133648,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2017\/06\/10\/to-any-denver-area-folk-who-enjoy-lacrosse-andor-fireworks.html","url_meta":{"origin":2374,"position":5},"title":"To any Denver-area folk who enjoy lacrosse and\/or fireworks","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 10-Jun-17 8:50pm","format":false,"excerpt":"My daughter's high school band will again be performing at the Denver Outlaws game on the 4th of July at Mile High. 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