Author Archives: lee

Today is the day we celebrate the enduring spirit of independence and the bravery of those who secured it. From the red, white, and blue waving high to the fireworks lighting up the night sky, Americans will honor the past, cherish the present, and look to a future established in liberty and individual freedom.

Barack Obama once said, “People who love this country can change it. “He was wrong. America doesn’t need to be changed; her principles need to be strengthened. The fundamental transformation he spoke of signified a hatred for the core principles and his desire to change those. Today, the enemies of liberty and freedom still exist as forces of evil to do battle daily.

Often wrongly attributed to the author of the Declaration of Independence, we are reminded, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” Ronald Reagan reminded us, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

Reagan understood the fragility of liberty and how each generation must fight to preserve it. Some people, me included, believe last November was a watershed moment as we dodged the bullet of tyranny fired by Obama. But it is a battle that will have to be fought and won again. The enemies do not sleep; patriots cannot do so either.

As proud Americans, we must remember that patriotism is more than for today; it’s a lifelong commitment to the values that define us: freedom, unity, and courage. On this day, each year, I read the Declaration of Independence. Most people know the opening words, but tucked away and seldom taught in schools are these words, the heart and soul of the document, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

My wife and I hope your day is one of joy, pride, and reflection on what it truly means to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Remember, we are one nation under God, and if we are indivisible, there will be liberty and justice for all. It may sound corny, but it’s true.

Enjoy the BBQs, parades, and gatherings with friends and family, but remember what it took to get here and what we must do to maintain it.

The Declaration of Independence is a fascinating document and worth reading from time to time. I read it every July 4. Please do it now, especially toward the end. If not, read toward the bottom of this. Or get it off the meme I made in part. Still, though, the real question is raised at the end of what I’ve written here.

It speaks to our ideals and aspirations as a nation of united people. We’ve fallen short at times, but we always get back up. It’s an indictment against the British king, accompanied by an explanation of why we must be a free nation, and then further details why. And it acknowledges the shared sacrifice necessary to achieve independence.

The known sacrifice, a mutual pledge to be shared, is little known and buried toward the bottom, but so real, even today. See, most everyone is aware of specific phrases like, “When in the Course of human events…“ or “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”

But tucked away and seldom taught in schools are found the heart in these words-“And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

The founders pledged their lives and property(fortunes) to the principles contained in the Declaration of Independence. We have a continuing duty to do the same.

However, I now have a question, and the answer will depend on your political perspective. If the founders had the foresight to know where we would be now as we begin our 250th year, would they have pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor for it?

Today in History

The Twenty-sixth Amendment made the U.S. voting age 18

On June 30, 1971, the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in Ohio, lowering the legal voting age to 18, the 37th state to do so. The following day, it was ratified, becoming the 38th state, and signed into law a few days later. It was, I believe, the fastest adoption of a constitutional amendment in history.

I worked on the campaign to lower the age. It was the first real political involvement of my life. Somewhere in my junior or senior yearbook, probably the latter, is a picture of me and a friend collecting signatures or passing out information on the issue. Last year was the 14th presidential election of my voting life.

One slogan for the 26th Amendment was “Old Enough to Fight, Old Enough to Vote.” It dates back to World War II, though. FDR reduced the draft age from 21 to 18, so there was a certain amount of logic to it. It may have prompted Georgia to lower its age in 1943, making it the first state to do so.

Eisenhower proposed it in 1954. In his State of the Union address on January 7, 1954, he proposed a constitutional amendment to grant voting rights to citizens aged 18 and older, stating, “For years, our citizens between the ages of 18 and 21 have, in time of peril, been summoned to fight for America. They should participate in the political process that produces this fateful summons.” The votes weren’t there in Congress, but it’s the same argument. If one can die for their country, they should be allowed to vote in it.

With the Vietnam War ongoing, the argument and campaign slogan used prior were revived in 1971.

Prior to concluding this with a piece of trivia, a couple of things. First, viewing the political landscape today, I’m not sure 18 is old enough to vote. Second, I can make the argument white males did not have a constitutional right to vote until 1971, while women obtained it in 1920 and blacks in 1870. Alternatively, the 15th Amendment granted all citizens the right to vote in 1870, making the 20th Amendment unnecessary. I’m not going to; it’s just how I amuse myself at times.

As a piece of trivia, the 1968 movie Wild in the Streets proposed lowering the voting age to 14, accompanied by a fight song called “Fourteen or Fight.” It’s an interesting counterculture movie that put those over 35 in “re-education camps” and permanently on LSD. If you get a chance, watch it. It has an interesting twist at the end.

Historically, the Israelites were trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. Moses reassured them with these words, emphasizing the importance of trusting in divine intervention, even when escape seemed impossible.

Today, it’s about not feeling like you need to fight every battle alone because you’re not alone. It’s about divine intervention. A person in my family is having employment issues, but a connection or new opportunity will come through, and all will be well. It doesn’t mean being passive, but peace. It takes courage to be still and turn worry or concern over to another. It’s a matter of trusting God to help us.

Every dog I’ve had, I felt, was my favorite at the time, and there would never be another one like him. There was Smokey, Pal, Fuzzy, Fungo Squash, Bear, Sir Chewsalot, Dandy, Maxwell, and Dumper. But there was this guy. His name was Logan, well, that’s the name I gave him, after the famed Indian Chief of one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy.

I picked him up at a pound, one of those dog death camps. He was quite pathetic looking, but there was something about him that I liked. It was clear Logan, as they said, had been abused. For a while, any time my arm moved, he’d cringe. That didn’t last long.

Although he was by no means a puppy, when I got him, he weighed 35 pounds. Just by eating every day, he got up to 85 pounds. When I first got him, I’d take him on walks in the woods, and he’d wobble around. Once, he slipped off a log. As time passed, he bounded all over the place on the hikes we took together.

He never learned any dog tricks. I did teach him to come home at night by flashing the outside light on and off. He loved cold weather. In the winter, he’d sit on the hill on a windy day, overlooking the road covered in snow. On cold nights, I’d bring him in even though I had a fort made of straw in the garage for him.

Logan lived to old age, given his size. You can’t tell from this picture, but he was a Briad, the same breed of dog as Tramp on My Three Sons.

Logan’s death was particularly painful for me. For his size, one vet said he lived longer than usual. I remember the night before his final day; I knew I’d be taking him to the edge of the Rainbow Bridge. I knew he was going to die. I figure he knew it also.

One of the best I ever had-We were buds!