by Lt. Gov. Ronald L. Ramsey
Independence Day is a day to cherish. While it is fun and relaxing to grill out and shoot fireworks, it is important to remember that July 4 is not just a date on a calendar. It is a day to remember how we gained our independence. It is a day to remember who we are.
Going about our daily lives in this great country we take for granted just how this nation came to be. America did not become America by sitting back and accepting the commands of those who thought they knew better. We did not become a nation by bowing to the whims of an elite. This nation was established because free men and women had no interest in listening to a King who no longer represented them.
So they fought. Against greater numbers — and even greater odds — and won their freedom.
On this day, I often try to remove any thought of current events and think only of the great history of this republic and the story of its founding.
The news of the past few weeks makes that very difficult. It seems that every time I turn a channel or click a link, I see our culture and cherished institutions maligned and marginalized.
In Tennessee, the future is bright. I am consistently amazed at the ability of Tennesseans to care about each other and look after one another. We remain the best state in the nation to live, work and raise a family.
The nation’s future, however, looks darker.
We will not be fighting with guns or live ammunition, but there is a fight ahead. It is a fight about fundamental values. It is a fight about who we are. Like the American colonists of the 1770s, we must not sit back and let those who think they know better determine how we shall live. We need to take back the country our founders fought for 239 years ago.
After emerging from the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked by a citizen what kind of government this new nation had. He responded simply: “A republic, ma’am, if you can keep it.”
This day — more than any other — is a day to remember the tremendous gift we were given by our founders and reflect on what we can do to keep it.
God Bless the Great State of Tennessee and God Bless America.
Ron Ramsey is a frequent FAB contributor. In his spare time, he is Tennessee’s Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate.
