I sometimes wonder.

Sure, we understand that we are celebrating our Country’s declaration of Independence, which we observe on July 4th 1776, the date on the Declaration of Independence.  We even quote the Declaration periodically.

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands, which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain Inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

And I certainly don’t want to demean it, for it is a crucial document in our Country’s history and development.

But while that is what Independence Day is, that is not all that it means. 

Do we recall that we went to war against Great Britain for 7 years following our proclamation?  Do we recall the 50,000 or more that died in that war?  Do we recall the years afterward as the nation was slowly forming and recovering?  The declaration meant nothing without the lives spent in securing it.

Do we recall the wars that followed which threatened our nations existence?  The Civil War, The Naval War with France, The First Barbary War, The Spanish American War, The War of 1812, The second Barbary War and so on and so forth all the way through WW1, WW2, Korea and Vietnam.

You see, to me, Independence Day is as much about keeping free as it is about becoming free.