07/04/2017
Today is the 4th of July, our Independence Day. It's the day we, as a country, celebrate our emancipation from England to become our own soverign nation. It has been nearly 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed and our own Fort Edward has been around for all of it. Fort Edward even pre-dates the Declaration of Independence when the Founding Father's risked their livelyhoods and their lives in the name of freedom. And today is a day to ponder what that freedom really means.
On January 6th, 1941, in his State of the Union speech, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt outlined his ideas about freedom. The nation was less than a year from entering World War II, we were still emerging from the ravaging effects of the Great Depression and people were faced with many of the same challenges we're facing today.
In that speech, FDR reminded Americans, "... For there is nothing mysterious about the foundations of a healthy and strong democracy. The basic things expected by our people of their political and economic systems are simple. They are:
Equality of opportunity for youth and for others.
Jobs for those who can work.
Security for those who need it.
The ending of special privilege for the few.
The preservation of civil liberties for all.
The enjoyment of the fruits of scientific progress in a wider and constantly rising standard of living".
"In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.
The first is freedom of speech and expression–everywhere in the world.
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way–everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want–which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants-everywhere in the world.
The fourth is freedom from fear–which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor–anywhere in the world.
That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation".
This State of the Union speech became known as the "Four Freedoms Speech", and Roosevelt's words were so powerful, they inspired American artist Norman Rockwell to paint his famous "Four Freedoms".
The fourth freedom, freedom from fear, is as important now, maybe moreso, than it was in 1941. It seems that fear is attempting to take over and cause people to take actions, or fail to take actions, which are incongruent with what they know to be right. It's not just fear of war or, in modern terms, terrorism, but fear in every aspect of our lives. It's a fear of losing what we have worked hard to achieve, fear of retribution for pointing out injustice, fear of ridicule for taking a stand, fear of failure.
What happens when we let fear rule our decisions? We feel frustrated. We feel hopeless. We lower our standards. Why, even when we know what the "right thing" is, do we all too often fail to do it? More often than not it comes down to fear.
I remind you, it's rarely easy to do the right thing but it's always the right thing.
Think about a time when you were afraid to do something but did it anyway. How did you feel? When you break through your fear you'll almost always end up better on the other side.
So, on this Independence Day, I encourage you to declare your independence from fear. Be the person you know you can be. Be your better-self. Start your own business. Rekindle a broken friendship. Get involved in your community. Be an advocate for those who are oppressed. Speak out against injustice. Don't be afraid. To quote FDR one more time, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself".
Remember, one person can make a difference. YOU can make a difference! You can accomplish great things if you'll only allow yourself. Act boldly and great forces will come to your aid. Do it for your country, do it for your community, do it for your family but, most of all, do it for yourself. Enjoy your Independence Day, enjoy your independence and enjoy Fort Edward!
