The call for American independence came in the summer of 1776. Richard Henry Lee, an American statesman from Virginia read his resolution in Independence Hall, and it began, “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.”

The Lee Resolution captured the growing discontent that had spread amongst the 13 colonies since the settlement of Jamestown. Settlers pioneered across the Atlantic Ocean in escape from persecution, and hope for independence, land, wealth, and freedom. These sentiments were finally put to paper by Thomas Jefferson the summer of 1776 in the Declaration of Independence.

After several days of debate and revisions, on July 4, 1776, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The 56 signers of the document were weary after the ordeal, but at the same time, they were full of determination to sweep away centuries of servitude to the crown. A new nation was forming - “a national endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.”

For 237 years, the United States has been navigating the path laid out before us by our Founders: a path that separates power, ensures freedom, and promotes equality. Today, I fear that we have strayed from that path. I fear that over time our Founders’ instructions to guide our country are becoming mere notes in a history book, or a lesson quickly taught and stored away amongst a clutter of thoughts and worries. 

We have allowed ourselves to stray. We have allowed the Executive Branch to take us down a path that was never intended for our country, a path wrought with pressure to sacrifice the liberties our forefathers entrusted to us. In times of hardship and tragedy, it is difficult to remember Jefferson’s words “prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes.”

However, we have elected a leader that exploits tragedy and recession as cause to frivolously expand our government to the point of infringing on our liberties. Don’t you see it? Obamacare, gun controls, and federal agencies being used to target individual organizations based on their political beliefs.

Coerced into buying a product is not freedom; infringing on our right to bear arms is not freedom; suppressing those based on their political beliefs is not freedom.

In 1776, Americans declared that they must abolish the crown for their freedom. Today, I worry that we have many decreeing for a crown.  

These clear oversteps by the federal government are contrary to the credence of our country. The Constitution of the United States is being trampled. The words written by our Founders were to guarantee our freedom, Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness. Today, our liberties are endangered but not defenseless.

We, the American people, must identify these evident oversteps of power. Founder Jonathan Mason said, “Remember that prosperity is dangerous; that, though successful, we are not infallible.” We must always remember to protect our independence, when we prosper and when we suffer. We have learned over the past decade that we are not infallible, but we must always remember that we are Americans.  

May God continue to drive our decisions and continue Independence Day!