I love reading and studying History. American History is rich in heroes, bravery, and conviction. I’ve always favored learning and studying how the United States came into being and how it got to where it is today because it is so different in so many ways than the history of any other country on Earth, yet shares so many similarities at the same time.
It’s also interesting to learn how the reality of things back then have been clouded in patriotism and folklore. There are a lot of contradictions such as the fact that most of the signers of a document that stated boldly that all men are created equal and that this is self evident were all in favor of enslaving black men on their plantations.
We’re currently in a historic election cycle this year in the US. I hope that every man, woman, and child snaps out of whatever paradigm they are living in for long enough to appreciate the history that is being made right before their eyes. I have been making my kids watch every moment of this historic election with the understanding that, no matter which party is victorious, history will be made and their children will some day be asking them questions about it.
So, as a history enthusiast, I am very excited about the trip that my Wife and I will be making to Boston this week. We’re only going to be there a couple of days so I’m not going to be able to see even a sliver of what I want to see but it will be worth it just to touch some of the things that the founders of this great country touched and to see things as they left them.
While I’m under no illusion that they were anything but mortal men – and politically driven at that – they had a zeal and conviction that our nation should be free of tyranny and that we should be a democracy. They dedicated their lives to this cause and because of their determination, we can speak and worship freely without fear of Government persecution.
I hope that we never forget their sacrifice and lose our freedoms in the process. These freedoms are challenged in political power grasps such as the Alien and Sedition Act, Prohibition, and more recently, the Patriot Act. The outcome of the latter will be a true measure of our complacency and desire to remain a nation free of tyranny and Government oppression.
