Price Of Freedom

nypost.com ^ | July 4, 2008 | Ralph Peters

[Free ThinkerNY]

TODAY, the 232nd anniversary of the day our Declaration of Independence rang out in Philadelphia, we rightly honor the men who debated and signed the document: Jefferson, Adams, Franklin and their colleagues. Yet, after that glorious declaration was signed in ink, it had to be counter-signed in blood.

Without men willing to take up arms and fight for the freedoms the Founding Fathers asserted, the words themselves would have secured us nothing.

It took courage to affix a signature to the Declaration. But it had taken another kind of courage entirely to stand at Lexington and Concord the year before. Our Founding Fathers would have become hopeless fugitives, had determined soldiers not stood by Gen. Washington - from the disaster on Long Island, through the misery of Valley Forge and on to Yorktown.

Then what would our Constitution have availed us, had another generation of patriots not filled the ranks at Chippewa, Ft. McHenry and New Orleans? What good would Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation have done without an army in Union blue?

FDR's "Four Freedoms" would have been laughable, had 10 million American men and women refused to put on their uniforms. President Ronald Reagan's call, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" would've been absurd, had still more generations of our soldiers not stood watch on the Rhine.

Unless etched in the blood of patriots, noble words evaporate. Yet, for all too many Americans today, words have become a substitute for sacrifice. We vow that our fallen heroes shall not be forgotten. Then we forget them.

[Free ThinkerNY]

[goldstategop]

We salute all the patriots - past and present - who've fought and died to keep our land proud and free!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[JoeFromSidney]

It may need to be signed in blood again. Keep your powder dry.

[freema]

Beautiful. Thank you for posting.

[Free ThinkerNY]

Thank you for the compliment and for your response. God bless America.

[Islander7]

I'm a semi-professional photographer. Recently I was privileged to shoot engagement photos for this young Marine and his bride to be. He served 2 tours in Iraq, participated in the battle for Fallujah, trained Iraqi troops and was wounded. He is now a second year medical student.

We are blessed to have many thousands of young men and women who appreciate their freedoms and willing lay their lives on the line to help others realize their rights as human beings. I know FReepers understand this, too bad so many of our fellow citizens don't.

God Bless them all!

[Cindy]

“God Bless them all!”

Amen.