The 4th of July
Today is July 3, 2005. Nothing out of the ordinary about that date other than it is the day before we celebrate our nation's birth. Yet for the past two days I have heard the sound of fireworks outside. I expect to hear more tomorrow. What I don't expect to hear is anyone thanking a veteran for his or her freedom. I don't expect to hear anyone talking to a veteran in a nursing home. I don't expect to hear anything but platitudes from a few politicians who use the 4th as an advertising tool.
As a veteran, the son of a veteran and the father of a full time soldier, I attach special meaning to this date. Much has been written about how many people see it only as a date to sleep late and a day off work. It's also a day to get drunk, shoot off some fireworks and maybe lose a digit or two in the process. We all know that. The fact remains, no one ever does anything about it. Maybe, just maybe, if we started to be less revisionist with our schoolchildren and teach them that it is ok to feel proud to be an American, that it is ok to believe that this is the greatest country in the world and that patriotism is not politically incorrect, then maybe, just maybe, there will be less fireworks and more thank you's.