July 4th!!

Tomorrow we celebrate our Independence. Our independence from tyranny. Our independence from persecution. Our independence from having to live under the rule of someone else. Tomorrow we celebrate our freedom.

With all that being said, it seems to me that we really haven't gotten as far as our forefounders would have liked, expected, or wanted us to get. We came here because we felt persecuted for our beliefs. We wanted the freedom to believe any way we wanted without feeling like we had to follow someone else's religious beliefs. Have we really accomplished that? I don't think so. We have taken away the "right to pursue happiness" from the gay community by not allowing them the rights/responsibilities of marriage. Our country is still under the false belief that "if you don't believe the same way I do, you're wrong and you're going to hell."

We have all these freedoms that we have now come to expect and we take for granted every day; yet there are those that have come to our country in the last 40-50 years because they were under persecution from their countries (some of which were communist countries). This weekend, I have come to appreciate our country and my freedoms more because I have been listening to my in-laws and some of the things they had to go through in order to come to America.

My father-in-law worked with the U.S. during the Viet Nam war. Once we pulled out, the United States was unable to help anyone left in Laos. We were however able to help those Laotians that crossed into Thailand. My father-in-law, his wife, two boys, and younger brother were planning to cross the Mekong River in the dead of night. His brother asked his girlfriend to come with him and since her parents didn't want her to leave, they alerted the police and they came and arrested him. This was still the communist regime, so they could do whatever they wanted. They kept him in jail for a year. During that year, he was in a small bamboo cage with very little food and water. He also had to sit in his own bodily excrements and didn't have enough room to stand or sit up completely. He was somewhere around 18 years old at this time.

My father-in-law took his wife and two boys across the Mekong River in the dead of night. Since his boys were so young (probably around 3 and 4), they were carried on the backs of others that were also crossing into Thailand. They lived in a refugee camp for over a year. Once my father-in-law heard about his brother's release, he risked his life for the second time to go get his brother and risked it a third time to cross back into Thailand with his brother to join his family.

They changed their names in order to get out of Thailand alive (the communists were looking for those that helped the Americans to kill them and every member of their family). Of course, they have since changed their names back and they are all US citizens and have been for over 20 years. H and his brother have both served in our U.S. military (Army all the way!).

Hearing these stories this weekend has made me realize just how blessed I have been to be born in the U.S.A. It has also made me realize just how much I take for granted on a daily basis. I am going to try to do better in realizing just how blessed I have been and that even though things may not be the best they can, even though this country hasn't progressed as far as the forefounders would have liked, and even though this country hasn't progressed as far as I would like; I still need to realize that I am better off here than I would be had I been born in H's homeland.

I am never going to be okay with our country taking away freedoms and rights of its citizens. I am never going to be okay with the religious beliefs of this country. I will always be thankful for our military and the sacrifices they (and their families) have made to ensure the freedoms I enjoy and take for granted.

Happy Independence Day, America! Be thankful for what we have, but NEVER forget where we came from and why we are here in the first place.