Each fourth of July I think about different things. When I was younger, the holiday meant little beyond seeing some sweet fireworks. As I grow older ( and wiser) I think about more and more things dealing with the holiday.
This holiday commemorates our freedom from England but each year I always think about what it means to other people. To the slaves, the fourth was just another day that pointed out the obvious hyprocrisy of white Americans. To Native Americans (or American Indians) it meant little since their freedom and many lives were lost for the white man's freedom. Even later, the fourth meant little to a segregated America.
What about today? Things are better, of course. But I still think many Americans don't enjoy freedom for various reasons, mainly the lack of opportunities. I find it absoutly frustrating when people are still tied to their jobs to make ends meet. Are we lacking true freedom because of our captialistic society? I heard a radio commerical asking for you to exercise your freedom by shopping at some store. So that's freedom? Being able to buy whatever I want? Well, ok. Then may seem find to many but personally I'm looking for more than that. Also really how can that be true when we are/were one of the richest countries in the world but we also have the highest number of suicides and other mental illnesses. So maybe we're wrong. Not that I in anyway know what's right, but it's just something I've had on my mind this fourth of july.
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