“Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.” – Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, 7 June 1776
Published 4 July 2019
And so began the United States of America.
Seems like destroying statues in these United States has a long history. Hearing the words of the Declaration of Independence, military personnel and civilians in the Bowling Green section of Manhattan tore down a statue of King George III and melted it into bullets.
Just like today, not everything the Government does is done on time or reported accurately. 2 July 1776 is actually Independence Day. We celebrate Independence Day on 4 July because that’s when Congress accepted Jefferson’s Declaration. Some historians believe that the Declaration of Independence document was signed by Congress on 2 August 1776 and not on 4 July. Why? The August date was the day when a clean copy was finally acquired by Timothy Matlack. Matlack was the assistant to the secretary of Congress.
Maybe Nike does not know all United States Flag history. There have been twenty-eight versions of the United States Flag. The flag designed after Alaska and Hawaii joined the union was the result of a school project. Seventeen year old Robert Heft designed our current flag in 1958. The Ohio native received a B minus for the project. However, his teacher changed the grade to an A when Congress accept Heft’s design.
Not everyone has bar-b-ques on 4 July. Richard and I typically stay at one specific long-term hotel for work in the northeast. Monday through Thursday the hotel had some sort of food and beverage service. One night the hotel advertised “bar-b-que.” We were excited visualizing baby back ribs and such. The hotel cooked hamburgers on a grill calling this action a “bar-b-que.” For the record, bar-b-que is a noun not a verb.
As you celebrate 4 July, that date in American history when the Colonist refused to give up their guns and pay taxes, remember that not everyone is eating hot dogs and watching fireworks. America’s Warfighters, deployed Civilians, and Military Dogs serve all over the world.
Say a prayer for their safe return home and for their families. Freedom isn’t free.