Celebrating freedom

It's easy today to focus on fireworks, food, friends and family.

But take just a moment to focus on the freedoms that form the basis for this special time in our great nation.

Despite political winds that blow our ship of state off course from time to time, we still enjoy freedoms that others only dream about.

We complain about the drastic drift in our current political climate, yet we sometimes fail to fully appreciate the freedom to loudly voice our opposition without fear.

We grow concerned about religious movements who wish us harm without remembering our own precious freedom to worship as we so choose.

We often mock those who gather to promote ideas we find repugnant without recognizing our own freedom to assemble and share our views with no fear of reprisal.

Freedom of movement and expression and countless other freedoms are simply part of why we celebrate.

We often take for granted those cherished principles that are the envy of the world.

Our nation's history is marked by shifting directions in political extremes.

All of our hard-fought freedoms come with a price.

But the one constant is our ability to live our lives within the framework of freedoms and liberties that are larger than any government.

Despite past and current attempts to curtail, alter or diminish our freedoms, we stand today -- just as we always have -- with the freedom to change our direction.

No man, no administration and no elected body has the right to remove the freedoms that form our union.

And so we celebrate.