What does Independence Day mean?

We just celebrated the 246th anniversary of our nation’s Independence Day. What does that mean exactly? Does it mean fireworks, cookouts, vacation time, parades? To most Americans, it encompasses any or all of these, but the meaning is much deeper than that. Our history is so rich that it is worth repeating every year, just to help us keep our focus so we don’t lose the “independence” others fought so hard to establish many years ago.

So, in the 1700s, America (13 colonies), a young nation, was bullied, taxed, pressured, (some were) imprisoned, and threatened by Great Britain’s King George III. He wanted to maintain control of the new colonies by controlling their resources, their livelihoods, and the flow of money from those resources. When that wasn’t enough, he taxed the citizens more to benefit his own financial greed.

The colonists tolerated abuse until they couldn’t take it anymore. The pastors in churches led the “rebellion” against the tyranny of this bully, enforcing the Declaration of Independence, which officially announced the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. Through Sunday sermons, pastors were political, leading the colonists to rise up against tyranny, teaching principles of freedom and abuse, good and evil, and clarifying civilized governmental standards. Almost every church gave sermons outlining their grievances against King George for over-taxation, misrepresentation (or no representation), seizing of property to please the King’s desires, and removal of their religious and individual liberties. The War of Independence was just that – Americans’ efforts to establish independence and autonomy from any other country, any other ruler, any other set of rules that they previously had escaped. Above all, they fought to maintain religious freedom to worship and seek God according to their consciences. They fought an abusive government, and against all odds, established the citizenry of the United States of America.

Let’s fast forward to July 4, 2022. In Lansing, pro-abortionists blocked a 4th of July Independence Day Parade. The police took no action to preserve the citizens’ rights to celebrate history through a simple parade. In Chicago, with all their strict gun laws and gun free zones, there was another shooting resulting in many injured and 6 people killed. University of Michigan provides graduates with a history degree with no requirement for even taking one U.S. History class. Many of our youth do not know what a representative government. They expect government to provide financial hand-outs instead of offering them opportunities to thrive on their own. Most of our youth don’t know our history as a nation, nor our patriotic songs, and they are not educated to defend or maintain our legacy of a freedom-loving, independent nation.

Contrasting leaders today with our Founding Fathers of the 1700s, let’s look at “politics”. Did our Founding Fathers put their ideas on a brochure, run for office, and merely talk about what they thought others would like to hear? Or did they risk everything: their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to reinforce values like personal responsibility, personal autonomy, the need for a strong work ethic and the dignity that comes from personal accomplishments? Did they spend ALL their money to secure freedom for the rest? For future generations like us? Yes, they did. Many of our Founding Fathers died penniless. They “left it all on the field”, risking it all, having an idea of what freedom would look like without a government bearing down against them. This is why the U.S. Constitution was carefully written and prayed through. They knew it would be THE protection against a government that would not treat its citizens with dignity and freedom. They had a glimpse of what real freedom would feel like, because they knew the God of the Bible, the source of all real freedom. 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence stated that they were doing this for the rights of all people and to preserve the dignity for all mankind, as endowed by our Creator.

The United States is supposed to be an independent, autonomous country that interfaces and trades with other countries. However, some leaders are in agreement with Marxism, globalism, national control of farms, schools, parents, families, businesses, and people of faith. In the colonial days, the few that fought for righteous freedom were mocked by the majority. And today we see the same. Because of a lack of courage and historical knowledge, we run the risk of losing vision to retain our freedoms.

I hope you will join me in standing up for our God-given Constitutional rights in Michigan. I need your vote on August 2nd so I can be your voice of independence and freedom in Lansing.

Your comments are welcome and encouraged: Gina4StateRep@gmail.com.