Happy Fourth of July!

Not too long ago, we recognized all of our veterans, living and dead, who had served our country in the Armed Services. Memorial Day is an extremely important holiday. It’s that special day that we can take pause and realize the sacrifices that have been made and are being made to protect our country. Hopefully, we were all moved to personally thank a veteran for their service.

Now, we celebrate the Fourth of July, that magnificent day when brave people elected to start the journey toward establishing their own country. All I can say is that group had a lot of backbone. They had to know they faced insurmountable odds in declaring their independence, yet they moved boldly ahead.

Boldness, I think, is a good word to describe both those who birthed our country and those who have fought to maintain our freedom. Boldness, as defined in the dictionary, means “requiring or exhibiting courage and bravery.” History books and current news reports are full of accounts of the boldness of those who fight the wars for the general population. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those who have boldly stood between us and our enemies.

Sometimes I wonder if our veterans would appreciate something much more than just our sincere appreciation. Is it possible they would most appreciate some “boldness” from us. Boldness to face some of the enemies that are in our own ranks. Boldness to clearly call an ace an ace and a spade a spade. Boldness to stop placing political correctness as the ultimate goal. Boldness to stand up for what is right and just.

A great deal of blood has been spilled on battlefields around the world to protect our freedom and our way of life. However, if we are not diligent and bold, we can see that freedom and way of life disappear without another shot being fired. It will happen when we passively sit by and watch our country taken captive by a group who envision a different society that what we now enjoy. If you are aware of some gradual shifts that you believe will negatively impact our country, maybe it’s time to speak up! Maybe it’s time for you to exercise some boldness yourself. We can express ourselves at the ballot box and in the public square.

Our heritage as a nation, is to stand up and be heard. Let’s exercise some boldness and stand up for our nation and those things we hold dear.

BE BOLD!