Our History is Our Future

      

     Dense, daunting, smokey, storm clouds rolled in, violently swelling over each other, blackening the once jaded skies of a country enslaved.  It was however, not rain that wet these weary men’s pale skin but the beading perspiration visible on their faces as a unmistaken proclamation to their fellows that they too felt their lives coming to a collision with the looming, pressing, deepening, widening, brooding conflict between the captive colonies and their persecutor, Great Britain herself.   Though no thunder could be perceived by the ear on that hot July day, there were absolutely no amount of words that could describe the weight of the storm clouds that hung over every man in the Independence Hall on July 4, 1776.   While the meeting was wrought by the long-suffering spirit, and fearless fortitude of men ignited by the image of justice prevailing, it’s purpose came with a high price.  In fact, in the words of Colonial First Lieutenant, John Paul Jones, “It seems to be a law of nature that those who will not risk, cannot win.”  Words to haunt the brigaders and fighters of the Revolutionary war for years to come.  Leaders of this revolutionary cause (No pun intended) took farmers into battle on the flickering faith in an unlikely victory in the midst of times that try men's souls.  In fact, on July 4, 1776, circled around a document of determined declaration in the Independence Hall is exactly where 56 men with different backgrounds, educations, opinions, and hearts, decided for 13 colonies, to sign off on the fact that maybe, just maybe, the possibility of that win, was worth the risk.  Thus, all 56 farmers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, fathers, husbands, brothers, countrymen, loyalists, patriots, federalists, and anti federalists, took one valiantly defiant taste of what freedom to come would taste like as they quite literally put pen to paper and signed The Declaration of Independence unanimously.  Some welcomed the flavors of liberty with fists thrown high and ear-to-ears.  Others were, skeptical, hesitant, frustrated even, at the shaking of the lives they knew.  After all, if history is any indication, it is not always immediate that a people recognises the formation of foundations, the toppling of tyrants, the founding of futures, or the bursting of bonds.  However, it was John Adams himself who said, “I may study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.”  It was the equally infamous Thomas Jefferson who wrote, ``The ground of liberty is to be gained by inches, that we must be contented to secure what we can get from time to time, and eternally press forward.”  These are powerful words when accepted into the soul.  But let us remember that as hard as these men fought to defend our future we must fight with equal intention to defend our past.  Let us never forget the day we declared our intent to take back our freedom and form a new nation.  Let us never forget the day we won our liberty. Let us never let go of the fight we put up to declare men equal, and the hard-fought battle to keep it that way.  We shall never forget, the Berlin Wall, nor shall we forget Pearl Harbor.  And as passionately as we preserve the memory of winning the race for space in 1969, we also preserve the memory of 9/11, and the grief our country suffered.  Let it be known nationwide, as it was to these brave men, that our History writes our future.