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tBBC TBBC Roundtable: What Does Independence Day Mean To Me

WVaBuckeye

Guest
TBBC Roundtable: What Does Independence Day Mean To Me
WVaBuckeye
via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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TBBC wants to wish everyone a very Happy Independence Day and hope it’s the most enjoyable day possible. We like roundtables around these parts and sometimes like to express our own feelings, shocking I know, but we have a great love for our country and the freedoms we have because of the brave who have fought and lost for us.


Some of here are veterans, some of us have serious ties and memories to those who did serve and to some it’s a special birthday. Thank you for taking the time to read one of the more powerful articles put together here in a while. Have a great day

What Does Independence Day Mean to Me?


Joe – I have never been a big fan of fireworks. They will never be my thing. Independence though, will always be my everything. From being able to raise a family through the freedom of my beliefs, to my god given right to make fun of That Team up North.

I am blessed to practice the freedom bestowed upon me to pursue happiness. I cherish the groundwork that, even when challenged, allows my country to stand tall.
Most importantly, I’m reminded of the great unity of Independence that is found in the roots of this country. I praise those before us that come together in times of tribulation and struggle to defend this land. And I hope that we as a country — a power beyond measure in this world — find those values in a growing time of disdain between our citizens.
The United States of America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Today, I encourage you to remember that while freedom is a god-given right, It’s also a privilege.
If we’re united, we can stand together against the transgressions our nation faces every single day. Does that mean we have to agree on every single thing? Absolutely not.
The birth of our nation should serve as a reminder though that if we’re not united as a nation, we will not stand as the greatest nation ever known to mankind. What makes this country great isn’t just the ideals that have been in place since 1776.
It’s the power of a united people.
Without that core strength — split by only empowering what we believe without being willing to open discourse — divided we will fall.
That unfortunate truth is self-evident.
The first step in taking our country back, is remembering and respecting the core values of what makes this country great. Not just from the first person perspective, but that those rights are equal for those around us as well
Michael – 4th of July means family, fun, food, and fireworks. It’s a time to celebrate this great country we all live in. It means freedom and to thank all the men and women who died bringing and defending that freedom. I love this country and I love celebrating the 4th of July. My home town does as well. For a very small town it has a big parade and one of the best firework shows around the area. It’s so good in fact, a town that has a population of just 4,000 gets crowds as big as 30,000 for the show. Happy 4th of July everyone!!
Scott – I’m old fashioned when it comes to holidays. I like them for what they mean, not all the pomp and circumstance.
While I love fireworks and festivals, for me, July 4 is a day to remember and recognize all the freedoms we earned by leaving the tyranny of England and becoming an independent country
JC – Independence Day to me is the representation of all that we are. I am not punished because of my faith, my politics, or my strong disdain for TTUN. I love America. I love the idea that I can strongly protest anything and only be branded by the opposition as a”whatever” is encouragement to continue.
There just isn’t anywhere on the face of this earth like America. And just as important there’s no where like The Ohio State University.
Patrick – I’m like everyone else in some regards when it comes to the 4th and what it means to my freedoms and remembering the birth of our country, but the 4th of July holds a special meaning to me in a bigger way than just that.
Many of you know that I have a disabled brother, but what many of you don’t know, is how much this kid means to me or the involvement in which I have in his life. My brother Blake was born on the 4th of July, 1978. Blake is non verbal and autistic and has cerebral palsy. Blake requires daily personal care and it is very involved. Blake is my best friend and my brother. Blake comes to my house on Friday nights and stays till dad comes to pick him up on Monday morning to take him to work.
I have chosen to take over Blake’s care full time when my parents can no longer do it and it’s a labor of love I can’t wait to do. Blake also has a love for Ohio State that probably tops many of us in this forum. Blake is perpetual motion most of the day but when a Buckeyes game is on, he sits and watches and cheers. He’ll even stop and watch if a replay is on Big Ten Network.
The two biggest highlights of Blake’s year is when he gets to compete in the state of Ohio state Special Olympic Summer and Winter Games held on the campus of The Ohio State University. Almost every piece of clothing he owns is OSU gear and his room at my house is donned in pictures and posters of Ohio State. Blake LOVES to get on YouTube and look up videos of his favorite thing and with out hesitation, the very FIRST thing you will always hear when he gets on the computer are the campus chimes of Carmen, OH.
When Blake and I are traveling, many times he’ll sign “hot dog” and “Coke” and point in the direction we travel down 71 south to Columbus to ask me if we’re going to a Bucks game. Having a sibling that’s disabled often reminds me to sit back and remember and experience the simple things in life, like a hot dog and a coke at a Buckeyes game. Happy 4th to everyone and happy 38th birthday to my brother Blake!!

Brandon – Independence Day is a time to celebrate our freedom. We celebrate this by spending time with family and friends, we cook things on the grill, and we watch fireworks. It is a joyous occasion where it is not uncommon for a community of absolute strangers to come together to celebrate. Outside of these fun activities, there is another whole side of the 4th of July which I implore you to think about.During the American Revolution, there were 217,000 individuals who put their country’s best interest ahead of their own and battled for our freedom. Since then, over 40 million individuals have stepped up to the challenge and fought for our freedom. Over 656,000 of those brave souls have lost their lives so that we can celebrate this day together.

We have over 23 million veterans living among us. It could be yourself…it could be your neighbor…it could be your family member but seek them out and thank them. It doesn’t have to be Memorial Day or Veterans Day to do this. I am lucky enough to be friends with many service members from all of the branches. I myself am a veteran who deployed three times. My wife is an active duty service member who has deployed twice. I have friends who have been wounded…I have friends who have died…I thank each and every one of them for their service and for allowing me the opportunity to celebrate this day with family and friends.

Charles – Like many others have said, Independence Day means the celebration of our freedom and that I am lucky to live in the US. Of course we tend to celebrate these things by spending time with friends and family grilling out, drinking beer, and watching fireworks and that is appropriate because these are things we are able to do because we live in this country and I mean that not only in terms of our freedom to do so but that we live in a country where we have the economic opportunities to do these kind of things.

Of course we should also take time to think about those who have made our freedom possible and this country so great. This tends to be focused on remembering and honoring the veterans who sacrificed to preserve our freedom and we should do this but we should also remember all the others who have contributed to the country over the years, to make the US great and worth protecting.
Living in Australia for three years (this is actually my first Fourth of July in the US since 2011) helped give me a different perspective on the US, both good and bad. While the are many great things about the US, there are also things that could be better (I’d love to have Australia’s gun laws and health care system more like theirs) but in the end, I’m grateful and lucky to be an American. My time abroad gave me a chance to think about what makes America great and while there are a lot of little things, there are two big ones that stand out:
1. Freedom of speech. This is something that we all talk about and say we appreciate but it is also something we tend to take for granted. While we know that there are many countries that don’t have freedom of speech for their citizens, we tend to assume that this a common thing about western democracies. While most western countries have some form of freedom of speech, many of them are not as expansive or as well protected as it is in the US. For example, the Australian constitution does not mention freedom of speech, it is just another law that can easily be changed by the government and they have placed significant restrictions on it by banning offensive speech. While we all appreciate our freedom of speech, it is important to understand how crucial it is to making our country great. Where would the US be if people in the past couldn’t speak out and protest against injustices that were being done, whether by the government or society?
2. The fact that we are a giant melting pot. The US is a diverse nation made up of people whose families originated from all over the world. These people came to the US and contributed their skills to help build this country. The importance of being a melting pot seems to have been forgotten by many lately who seek to keep certain groups out or to insist that those who come here entirely assimilate to our way of life without adding anything from where they come from. The purpose and strength of being a melting pot is that people who come here do become Americans and part of our country but in doing so add bits of themselves and where they come from to our society. Just look at how we celebrate the Fourth of July, fireworks originated in China, beer originated in the ancient Middle East and was popularized by the Germans, hot dogs originated in Germany, and grilling meat predated Europeans arriving in North America and was common amongst numerous native groups throughout the Americas.
I hope everyone has a good Fourth of July and takes some time to think about what this day means to them.
WVa – There isn’t much that I can say that hasn’t been said above. What this day means to me is truly what it is for. I myself have served my country, was involved in a bombing by terrorist and yet that isn’t a drop in the bucket compared to what others have been through.
I lost a friend in the bombing and he left behind a wife and child. There is rarely a week or days that go by I don’t think about him and them. He saved several of my shipmates from the destruction from the grenades used and sacrificed all for me and others. He didn’t throw himself on the grenade, but if he hadn’t been setting where he was, several others would be lost.
We live in the greatest country in the world and we have the freedoms we have because of people like Ron Strong and thousands of others who have fought and lost. Today is special to me because I get to enjoy the day with my family because of what it stands for. I hope everybody has a blessed day and enjoys it with those you love!



God Bless The U.S.A.

The post TBBC Roundtable: What Does Independence Day Mean To Me appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.

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