INDEPENDENCE DAY: A DAY OF REFLECTION

Happy 4th of July everyone! While celebrating this National holiday I think it appropriate to remember why it was established and what it signifies. Our nation made this day a federal holiday to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence that declared our Independence from Great Britain.

Today many just look at it as another holiday. I am not one of them.

I am proud to say I am a veteran. As such I have a tendency to pay attention to the wars we are involved in and the military overall. I am not ashamed to say I grieve with my brothers and sisters who serve today and their families when some do not come home.

I also remember that when I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of these United States that I was undertaking the most serious decision of my life. Not just then but today those words ring as true as they ever did.

The path of those that came before us was paved with blood, sweat, and tears much like we experience today though there are some differences. We used to fight wars over ideological differences that threatened our way of life. Now we fight them over greed in many cases. I am not just talking about armed wars overseas but here at home as well.

You see the oath I took was as follows:

"I, Edward W. Springston, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

While I was serving in the military I focused primarily on the orders of the President and the officers appointed over me. I was proud then and am proud now to support the Constitution of these United States.

As the years have passed, and my military service completed, I have come to spend more and more time focusing on the words against all enemies, foreign and domestic. In many ways these are today's greatest fears. An enemy does not have to be one that is armed or foreign. An enemy is anyone who would betray and deviate from the Constitution of these United States and that is where I feel we are today.

When we defended ourselves in the past it was generally because we at least had moral superiority and were fighting for the betterment of others. Fighting when we had the moral high ground. Today's world is much different. Our enemies often times are from within.

Our Constitution continues to be shredded based on political will and the political leader's whim of the moment. The bi partisanship has not only weakened us as a Nation but weakened us around the world thus making the job of our military tougher today than ever before. We are more divided today than ever before in our history in these UNITED States.

When we fought in wars past we not only were feared, but we were respected as well across the globe. Today's world has shown our weaknesses first hand and we have lost to a degree that element that was in our favor.

We owe it to ourselves, and our forefathers, to continue to fight every day to preserve our rights and freedoms from government oppression. Being free isn't necessarily free. As our forefathers taught us we must work hard everyday to preserve it and defend it from those who would work to take it away from us.

The United States of America is still the freest Nation on earth and I for one am proud to be American. I will continue to fight for the freedoms our forefathers gained for us all to make this Great Nation stand tall and proud as leaders of the world. I will continue to fight against Government oppression and political malfeasance.

I started that fight long ago when I took an oath to defend this Constitution while in the military and I will continue to fight today against ALL enemies foreign and DOMESTIC. That is why I do what I do now. Those that would jeopardize our way of life are enemies period. They do not have to be foreigners come here to do us harm they can be just as easily egotistical, selfish, elected so called leaders.

The truest way to win any war is to win it from within. Divide and conquer is the oldest and most effective way to win known to man. Our own elected leaders are using that for their own gain today. Not ours. Until we can show some form of unity and solidarity as a people regardless of party lines that are meaningless today we will continue to lose this domestic war.

Make no mistake about it our very way of life is under attack. An unsustainable debt, a bleak economy, joblessness, homelessness, corporate greed, environmental disaters, and the lsit goes on.

This war affects our very way of life as a people and a Nation. A way of life that has been hated but mostly revered around the world. A way of life that has led from the front for those who seek to become a part of it. Let freedom ring.

I remember my oath well and I will uphold it with my last breath. I challenge each of you to read and take that oath, military or not, and truly think of the implications inherent within. It's not such a bad thing to undertake is it?

To my fellow soldiers serving today stay low and God speed. To those who have come before my sincerest thanks for all you have done and continue to do today.

This world truly is ours. Never forget that what we have today is what we were left with from our forefathers. What we make of it and leave behind is our choice. All I am asking you to do is get involved and pay attention. We can leave it better for those that come after us or we can leave it worse. I choose to leave it better than what we have.

Will you join me?