We recently celebrated our idependence from Great Brittain here in the U.S., and I must say this July 4th was not much different from that of last year, or the years before that. We sat around the bbq and had our water balloon fights throughout the day, and later that night we 'ooh-ed' and 'ahh-ed' over the fireworks display, all feeling an overwhelming sense of joy and patriotism; all creating wonderful (or not so wonderful) memories with our families and friends. But although outwardly, not much was different, for me this July 4th was deeper than the others, because all the while I couldn't stop thinking about how many people were all doing the same thing at that precise moment. And as I looked around the park that night at all those people who were sitting on their blankets next to us and watching the beautiful sparks in the sky, I wondered if they knew exactly what it was that they were celebrating.

I mean, of course they knew what they were celebrating. They were celebrating July 4th. They were celebrating what it means to be an American, and what it means to be free. But did they know what they were celebrating, really? I wonder if any of them took the time to realize that they were celebrating the eventual result of high treason. They were celebrating the courage of those people who fought in the Revolutionary War all those years ago, and how different they were from those who fight for us today. Although they both fought for our freedom, they did so with different persepectives; and I wondered how many of the people at that park realized this. I mean, it's one thing to fight for your country, but what they did was completely different. They fought against their homeland for an ideal which they belived went above and beyond king, or country. They betrayed all that their forefathers had fought to maintain, and yet, there's no denying that their efforts brought about one of the greatest reasons for celebration we have in this country today: freedom.

So as my mind kept wandering around the ideals of this holiday, I started thinking about what it must have been like to be in the thick of things back in 1776. It's almost overwhelming if you think about it long enough. Just imagine what it would be like to be on the Patriots' side back then, with all the odds against you, and nothing except your rifle and your passion to fight with against the most powerful nation in the world. It's certainly a different perspective about war than the one we have now. Now it's an almost certain victory, but back then, it was certain defeat, and yet these people looked past the odds and towards a larger cause, a cause that perhaps not many understood back then but one that we are lucky enough to experience now. All for a dream. The American Dream. As I thought about this my eyes started to well up, just at the enormity of what their sacrifice had accomplished, and how many people take it for granted now. For, how many people do we have today who would be willing to undertake the impossible task that our forefathers undertook? If the 1700s were today what would our future children have to look forward to? Would you have fought for America when she was nothing more than a dream?

And don't forget they fought with the belief in God, and the He was indeed with them, for righteousness sake; and why today, on our currency, is stated, "One Nation under God"...
For as long as He is our strength, we could not fail.

(..it would have been some experience to be alive back then).

God has eff all to do with it ... that was the chance we had ... the chance to make the whole world like one ... and we blew it by fighting amongst ourselves .. can you imagine if the British Empire and the USA had come together at that point in time. How different would the world be today?

It was a time to be one ... and we blew it ... how long until another chance like that comes along?

I would of fought for King and country 100%

There is no proof the "Rebels" were interested in God when they fought for their freedom. I love America, but if you look shockingly close at what was going on - the colonists wanted to have it "all". They weren't fighting for religious freedom, which they already had. I believe they rebelled equally for the right to increase profit and live free.

Would I have fought for independence? It depends on how I would have been earning a living. If I was successfully trading goods with English merchants and living well, probably not. If I was a farmer earning my living by supporting other colonists, I'd have probably fought with the colonists for freedom. Personal decision based on way of life.