Mick Rankin for NC House

Happy Birthday America!!

       On this day 245 years ago our forefathers made a declaration to absolve them from allegiance to the British Crown. The declaration included a list of tyrannies that would become the starting point of our Constitution. We endeavored to ensure the same tyrannies would not be imposed by our own government on our own people.

      During our history we have seen many tests of our Constitution. There have been wars directly challenging us the right to exist, such as the War of 1812, and an internal Civil War that challenged the central Federal Government. In these challenges the United States emerged stronger than ever in resolve to be independent and united in our stand against tyranny. We found ourselves standing with former enemies as we fought tyranny through 2 world wars and countless other conflicts around the world.

     Internally we have continued to press for greater freedoms for all of our citizens, sometimes creating strife within our own borders, yet we continue to persevere. There are those around the world who see our internal strife as weakness and believe they can divide us further and cause America to fail. To that I am reminded of a quote attributed to Japanese Admiral Yamamoto after the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor: “I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."

     As we celebrate birth of this great nation, we must continue to have faith in the United States of America and our enduring legacy that started with a few simple words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

      For the last 245 years we have existed as one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. That does not mean we have been perfect. We have certainly struggled with the “justice for all” part. For some reason the United States of America has risen from 13 tiny colonies to the world’s most dominate power, yet we don’t seek to dominate the world.  We are loved and hated by many. This love and hate stems from our generosity, and our prosperity. There are many opinions on why we are so prosperous but the one that makes the most sense is that God has chosen to bless us. Our humble beginnings are directly linked to the belief in God and his divine providence. As we celebrate this Independence Day, reflect on the liberty and freedoms we all enjoy, and that we are a nation of the people, for the people and by the people, one nation under God.  Give thanks to and recognize God as the source of our strength and prosperity, and to remain committed to the principles for which this great nation was born. 

Happy Birthday America!  May there be many more!