As its July 4th, Independence Day, this week in
the United States, I sit back and think of how many people don’t even think
about having independence. People today just think it’s a given that it’s there
and don’t think – what would their life be like if they didn’t have it?
Governments - Independence
versus Communist Rule
As the United States has celebrates its 237
th birthday, did you know that this special day wasn’t a
federal holiday until 1870? Yes, that’s
correct! Congress didn’t make it a holiday until 1870, but wasn’t a paid
holiday until 1941. Unbelievable but true.
Then there are some other people that say that America wasn’t anactually independent until August 2, 1776. Why is this? This is because
the Declaration of Independence wasn’t fully signed until August 2
nd.
Then why does America celebrate it on
that day? It’s because Congress, in a closed session, actually passed the wording
of the document,
The Declaration of Independence, on that day and only 3 people (Thomas
Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin), to my knowledge, signed it.
On the other hand, those who live in
Communist Rule countries
know little about the Independence that the US forefathers wrote about.
Some people, who live there, don’t think about
what they could be gaining (freedom of speech to name just one freedom) by not
living in their country, and that’s because they are used to living this way
and that’s fine by them. Much of what they say and do in these regions of the
world is controlled by the government. Some people can and do like living this
way and others who are tired of living this way move to countries which they do
have their independence.
History IS important
In fact, back in the late 1800’s many people immigrated from
one of these countries to places like the US. My ancestors were many of them
that took this time to leave the countries of their birth and moved to a
country, as young as it was, showed what they considered safer, secure and more
of a promise than the one they knew. One of the common says “Stay with the evil
you know or the devil you don’t know” comes to mind. For some, this was a huge
change for them as they left everything they knew and loved behind – including loved
ones.
I know from speaking to my grandmother, who immigrated to
the US when she was a young girl, that she didn’t know what to expect but knew
it had to be better than what they were living in. Then she saw the
Statue of Liberty and said that it was huge and beautiful
she knew that she was finally safe. I didn’t entirely understand what she was
saying, until this year when I started to research the conditions when she
left
Poland with her mother and meet up with her father
after they cleared
Ellis Island. Recently, I spoke to my
father about them coming to the US, and it opened my eyes to exactly what the family
went through before they arrived at Ellis Island and my respect went up another
notch.
If only I could have been a bit
older to completely understand when my grandmother was alive, I could have sat
there talking to her for days.
As for which government is better, is a bit of a mix feeling
and thoughts when I sat thinking about it. In a way both are pretty good with
the government being a large mother and father to the people rather than the
mother and fathers of the independent state being the ones to regulate what
happens. That being said, I don’t feel I could probably live with a government
dictating to me what I could and could not do.
That being said, with the recent privacy issues being
released by
Edward Snowden, regarding the government’s surveillance,
people are concerned about this issue. I’ve heard and read about people saying
it goes against laws and liberties and what makes the US the US. This I can
understand, however, this has happened before – remember back in World War 2? –
and it goes along those lines, I believe, the government is taking this stand.
 |
| 2013 Boston Bombing |
happened, is the reasoning behind why the government is
trying to do the surveillance that they are. Do I like it? No, however, I understand
that when I was calling into the US from Australia, I knew there were people
listening in as you can hear the clicks and hesitations that tell me someone
else is on the line but I know if that’s what they have to do to keep my
friends and family safe, then that’s what they do. My life is not that exciting
for them to listen into, but if they want to be extremely bored by my life then
leave them to it. Because compared to what my grandmother and great
grandparents went through, a few listening in clicks are a lot better than
having someone I love killed by someone that they could have stopped.
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| My grandmother, Jean, in the 1980's. |
So this week when you think of the US and their free
liberties, also think of those who don’t have those liberties. Some of them
want those liberties but don’t have the means or will power to get them unlike
my ancestors. Each year when this holiday comes around, I think of what my
grandmother’s face would have looked like as she sailed past the Statue of
Liberty and how she felt so safe and NEVER give that up –
NEVER give up my US
citizenship. I did make that promise and I WILL
keep it because it means even more now, today, then it did when she asked me to
give that promise.
secure that she asked me, her
granddaughter, before her death to promise and swear that whatever I did in
life, to
So what will you think about on this day of Independence?
