Happy 4th of July!

Naturally, I have to blog about Independence Day when it rolls around.

I would be an ingrate if I didn't say a bit about how grateful I am for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. The freedom to think, live and believe at our own discretion. The freedom to speak our minds. The freedom to worship- or not- by the dictates of our own beliefs. The freedom to bear arms, to be able to protect our lives, our families and our property. The freedom to seek out our opportunities, also known as the Pursuit of Happiness.

Note here the difference between the right to the Pursuit of Happiness and the "right" to Happiness. Refer to the Bill of No Rights, as penned by Lewis Napper. Here are a couple of my favorite "non-rights":

ARTICLE III:
You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV:
You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

I am just so grateful to be in a country where millions of people are offended by each other every day, but only the outrageous few are actually at odds with the law for voicing their opinions. Yes, I think we are growing too permissive in some areas and not strict enough in others, but as we stand today (and especially as this country stood when it was founded), I'm proud to be a citizen of the "land of the free and the home of the brave".