"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free."
Emma Lazarus : : 1883


These words, a part of a poem entitled The New Colossus, were written by Jewish poetess Emma Lazarus. A plaque with these words adorns the Statue of Liberty in honor of the waves of immigrants that have come to call the USA their home over the years. Boy, if a statue could talk, could that old girl tell some tales!

I have pondered all day about what to write about on Independence Day 2005. Many questions have run through my mind, not the least of which is "Why do so many people the world over risk life and limb for the privilege to live in our country?" They wade rivers and float on rafts and smuggle onto trains and planes and many of them make it, illegally of course. Many others go the legal route and traverse the miles of red tape to become legal citizens of our country.

Why is that? What does this country stand for that draws the attention of others worldwide and promises such a glowing future for them? That answer is simple. We have freedoms that they can only dream about.

Our constitution guarantees certain inalienable rights that we enjoy without much thought to those who have fought and died for their preservation. We are a nation rich in material wealth and bursting with opportunity for more. Yet we squander the natural resources of our great land for one more opportunisitic buck in the pocket of "he who gets there first." We are at odds with each other over political lines and we open our mouths like baby birds to be spoon fed news stories from media outlets that have political ties as well.

One of those precious rights is the freedom of speech. If I have concerns or problems with the way my government is conducting business, I am free to express those concerns without fear of retribution. I do not have to wait until the "next election" to let my voice be heard. I can speak up when I disagree and, while there is a chance that nobody will listen, there is also a very good chance that my voice will be heard if I speak clearly on the subject at hand. If others speak up too, eventually the collective voice of America will have a forum.

An old friend came by to visit last night and we sat on the porch listening to crickets and watching lightin' bugs. His comment to me was this: "You're very fortunate to live here." And I had to agree, not only about this farm but about this country. We are free to pursue liberty and happiness as we see fit and I pray it remains that way. As long as we remember that our government does not belong to the elected officials, but to the people who elected them, we have a chance to keep our heritage alive.

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