Our Independence has been paid for with the blood of brave men & women
Posted by Thomas Gordon on July 6, 2012
Charlie Daniels wrote this piece and it is all over the internet. I’ve decided to reproduce it below.
This week we celebrate the 236th year of American independence, purchased and defended with the blood of patriots.
We won our Revolution against all odds fighting, what at that time was, the greatest standing army and most powerful navy in the world.
The Spirit of Freedom was strong in the hardy souls who came to the New World to escape tyranny and the class system of the European monarchies, to found a government of the people, by the people and for the people, a place where a common man’s vote meant just as much as the aristocrat’s. It had to be the will of Almighty God for there to be a United States of America, otherwise George Washington’s half starved, ill-equipped army would never have been victorious against the mighty redcoats.
From the hills of Tennessee, from the fishing villages of the Atlantic coastline, from Boston and New Orleans, from the swamps of South Carolina and the teeming streets of Baltimore they came, bringing their long rifles and their steel determination that this new nation would bow to no foreign power and that none but our own flag would fly above it.
America has always bred this kind of man, who sees his duty and does it. They did it at Guadalcanal, at Midway, in the skies over Tokyo, on the beaches of Normandy. In the Philippines and the sands of Iwo Jima.
They did it in the frozen mountains of Korea, the jungles of Vietnam and the deserts of Southwest Asia.
Some came home with empty sleeves and some with deep psychological wounds that changed the course of their lives. Some didn’t come home at all.
This Fourth of July as you enjoy your picnics and cookouts, as you take the family to the beach or slice the watermelon, I want to ask you a favor.
Will you take a few moments to remember and to remind the ones around you that the liberty which you celebrate on this very American holiday has been paid for by the blood of brave men and women who throughout the 236 years of our existence, have put their lives on the line, stood between you and the enemies that would like nothing better than destroying you, your family and the way of life you celebrate today?
And if you’re a praying person, would you offer up a prayer for those who remain in harms way, for the families who will forever have an empty place at the table, for those who patrol our skies, who guard our coasts and borders and those who stand ready to do battle on a moment’s notice?
In spite of the wrinkles and warts, in spite of the rough patches and uncertain times, we are still the greatest nation the world has ever known and in spite of our disagreements, under our different color skins, our diverse political philosophies and our ethnic backgrounds, we’re all Americans.
And I thank God for that fact.
Happy birthday, America and Americans!
OC Political 
Jeff Gallagher said
And, it all started with 56 men who signed their death warrants by committing treason the day they signed the Declaration of Independence. I appreciate the post but, our war dead have their day and we veterans have our day. This day is for freedom and those men who originally made it possible to live in the greatest country in the world.
met00 said
Alas, wrongheaded posts get all the press.
Jeff is right. It should be interesting to note that I almost stopped reading when I got to the drivel “It had to be the will of Almighty God” because the author seems to have missed more than one history lesson.
At the time of the DoI every world power was deeply aligned with some Church. Whether it was the RCC in France, or the Church of England, every major world power had deep alignment with a religious affiliation. In fact, most of those that came to America came to be free of any government that had an association in which “God” was a part, as they had all felt the dismal effect of religiosity on secular life.
That may be why the DoI uses the terms “Creator” and “Nature’s God” rather than the very simple three letter “God”. It is also why the Constitution only mentions God in reference to there being no religious test for office. It is why the Bill of Rights stipulates that the government shall have nothing to do with religions, ensuring the freedom of all the people to believe, or not believe what they will. And George Washington was President when the Treaty of Tripoli was negotiated, signed by John Adams and ratified by a Congress that contained many of the Founding Fathers that opens with the clear statement that the United States is NOT a Christian Country.
From Thomas Paine to Jefferson and Madison we see in the writings of the Founding Fathers a strong belief that government is secular. That government is NOT in the God business and in fact takes no stand on if there is one God, many Gods or no God at all.
The Fourth of July is not a holiday to give thanks to God, the armed forces, those that fought and died to protect America through the years, etc. But it should be a time for us to reflect on the Founding Fathers who had the wisdom to know that the failed government from which these Colonists fled all shared a common thread, one where God and Country were mixed, and they were wise enough to ensure that they avoided the mistakes of those other countries and ensured that the government would be secular, protecting all rights for personal faith, including non-belief, equally.
If there is anything that we as a people should think on at this point in time it is the wisdom of those Founding Fathers, and the lack of wisdom by those that followed who have inserted their personal faith as part of our Countries identity. We should take the time to re-commit ourselves to ensuring personal liberty, like those Founding Fathers did, by doing all we can to keep the government secular, and not letting the will of the majority use their personal faith to trample on the minorities right to enjoy the fruits of a government that endorses no faith.
Francisco Barragan said
And this is precisely the beauty of our system, which the Founding Fathers got right, although not perfect, and which subsequent administrations forgot and continue to forget:
Here in our great United States, an individual is free to choose to have No religion; or to practice a faith of One or many Gods without interference, nor imposition, nor retaliation from the government; and this is and should always be expressed freely without fear!
In other countries, of theocratic dictatorships, the fact that someone would choose no religion or a religion different than the one imposed by the State, is automatic grounds for death.
And I am thankful for those who have served, in wartime or peacetime, to preserve our liberty and our freedoms.
Paco Barragán
Santa Ana, CA
met00 said
Paco, let me share a clearer vision of “what is wrong” with electing morons that do not understand history (see paragraph II for the moron level statement).
Read that last paragraph many many times. Then go look up the religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers. A Dietist is NOT a Christian.
Look at that last line again. This representative of the People wants to use the Peoples money to teach Christianity ONLY. That’s right. Spending tax dollars collected from non-Christians to teach Christianity.
How come the GOP is all for small government unless it’s for BIG government with tax supported instruction of their religion of choice? Taking the money from agnostics, atheists, Jews, Hindu’s, B’hai, etc. to teach what they believe to be the one true faith with other peoples money.
Yes, it can happen here in the United States. It does. It’s why there are groups and individuals that watch for this slippery slope kind of hypocrisy and call it out. When you hear the term Education Vouchers, what you are hearing is what Hodges and her ilk taking taxpayer funds to have a State sponsored religion. Theirs.
Elen said
found a lot of great points in this post, nice work.