On July 4, all across our nation, communities celebrated
America’s 233rd birthday commemorating the day with concerts,
parades, picnics, and, of course, fireworks. This year I missed
Morgan Hill’s festivities. Instead, I was on a trip to the East
Coast touring historical sites.
On July 4, all across our nation, communities celebrated America’s 233rd birthday commemorating the day with concerts, parades, picnics, and, of course, fireworks. This year I missed Morgan Hill’s festivities. Instead, I was on a trip to the East Coast touring historical sites.
On the first day of the trip, my family and I visited Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. Our tour guide said, “If there’s one word to describe Washington, it would be integrity.” After the Revolutionary War, Washington was still the commander-in-chief of the Continental army, and many of his contemporaries considered naming him King of the new nation. Instead, Washington went before the Continental Congress and resigned his commission. Washington further set the precedent of serving only two terms in the elected office. At the time, some worried that he would take his power so seriously that he wouldn’t voluntarily give it up. Instead, Washington abided by the new constitution and peacefully stepped down to allow another elected president to take office.
Today, we take our nation’s peaceful transition of power through elections for granted. Thanks to Washington, America’s democratic process has become a model of hope for people around the world. We are reminded that in other nations even today the process of the transfer of political power is not always smooth. The social unrest and protests in Iran after their June 12th election is one example. Another, which occurred a few weeks later, was the military coup that took over the democratically elected government of President Manuel Zelaya in Honduras.
On July 3, I was in Gettysburg, PA, where my family and I stood in an open field honoring the 146th anniversary of the three-day battle between the Union and Confederates that took place July 1 to 3, 1863. During this battle, the Union army held its ground and the Confederates finally retreated. The combined casualties of both armies were approximately 51,000.
Four and a half months after the battle, President Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg address declaring the land a national cemetery. During this speech, he instructed “that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”
The day before, my family and I had toured Arlington National Cemetery, where we were reminded that freedom is not free. Today, American soldiers in active duty continue to sacrifice their lives. We stood in somber silence, witnessing a funeral procession with full military honors, as a military band and an escort platoon preceded a horse drawn casket wrapped in the U.S. flag followed by a dozen or so vehicles with family and friends.
During our trip, we were also able to visit Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation. We visited the rooms where Thomas Jefferson lived when he wrote the Declaration of Independence and penned, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…”
A few blocks away from Jefferson’s living quarters is Independence Hall where the document was debated by the Continental Congress and adopted on July 4, 1776. The men who signed the Declaration knew that they could be hung for treason against the King. They believed strongly enough in the principles contained in the document that they risked their lives.
We went to the City Tavern which was the social and cultural center at that time. The second floor ballroom was the site of the first 4th of July celebration back in 1777. I looked around, amazed that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both written in this city, and that the same ideals and concepts generated, discussed, and debated over 200 years ago are still being examined, reviewed and interpreted today.
President Obama stated, “As Americans, we can take enormous pride in the fact that courage has been inspired by our own struggle for freedom, by the tradition of democratic law secured by our forefathers and enshrined in our Constitution.”
History books, for the most part, give dates and describe significant events. It’s very different to visit sites where history was made and to be reminded of the personal integrity, sacrifices and the courageous stands made by those who came before us. The week long trip gave me a better appreciation of our nation’s history and the responsibilities we have as citizens to live up to its ideals.
