The Stafford Voice

Our little place to talk about and share about life.

Politics

Earning Extra Credit for ‘White Privilege’

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Dae Elliot, a Sociology professor at San Diego State University has offered her students a chance to earn a little extra credit by determining their personal level of ‘white privilege’by way of filling out a form.

This form was inspired by educator Peggy McIntosh, who, in the late ’80’s, helped popularize the concept of “white privilege”. While ‘unpacking the invisible knapsack’ of her ‘white privilege’, McIntosh listed 50 points to help highlight the ‘daily effects of white privilege’.

If you’re interested, take a look for yourself at this PDF of her points.

Asked about the offer, Professor Elliott told The College Fix via email that it’s a legitimate way to help students see things from multiple perspectives.

“Only through processes that allow us to share intersubjectively, weigh all of our perspectives according to amount of shareable empirical evidence can we approximate an objective understanding of our society,” she said. “It may never be perfect, in fact, I am sure we will always be improving but it is a better response if we are truly seekers of what is truth, what is reality. In a society that values fairness, our injustices that are institutionalized are often made invisible.”

We all know universities and a myriad of other places are a breeding ground for liberal, leftist ideology. However, this may take things to a new level.

Whoopi and Behar STILL in Denial Over Clinton Election Loss to Trump

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The View hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar admitted they were still in denial over Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump.

It seriously begs the question, and I’d like to quote Clinton herself, ‘At this point, what difference does it make?’

Honestly. To what end will the blame be rather than admit she was the problem and it was her that lost.

We’ve blamed almost everyone and everything. We’ve blamed it on Russia. We’ve blamed it on the DNC party. We’ve blamed websites and news outlets.

The fact that we’re still even talking about this is… How does Trump put it? #SAD

Some not-so-interesting quotes from the video should you not wish to stab your eardrums at the sound of their voices:

Whoopi –

But let’s be realistic. Do you really think she was going to win? Based on everything that the Democrats did when they let Obama — left him out there floating and the flotsam and jetsam and all this stuff that Fox News did and all those folks. You know, there have been very few eight years of one party and eight years of the same party. It doesn’t generally go back to back. The last time I think was Nixon and whoever came in after him was the last. Ford. And he pardoned. That was the last time we had a long stretch. When it wasn’t Democrat, Republican, Democrat Republican. So given all the crap that Obama had to eat from his own party, I don’t think Bernie was going to — I don’t think any Democrat was going to–people were going to vote —

Whoopi on the idea that there was some sort of secret as to why Clinton would lose –

I believe that was not going to happen. The truth of the matter is, if this election happened in any other country the way it happened here, we would have sent people to go and check. To see what was going on.

Behar taking a page from Clinton’s book on playing the blame game –

But don’t forget the things that we do know are that Comey released this information about her two weeks or a week before the election. That was very detrimental to her campaign and everybody who was on the fence said well — and they’re saying crooked Hillary. And they’re saying ‘Oh yeah crooked Hillary’ and he confirms it in a way and he says nothing about the Trump investigation and then you have the Russians interfering with our election. There were so many things that went against her that I think she has every right to write a book and speak about it.

Exchange between hosts that it was rigged –

FARIS: I think at some point you also have to take responsibility and I think if she would say, you know what, I lost fair and square, I think the problem is —

WHOOPI: But we don’t know that she did lose fair and square. See that’s the thing. That’s what I’m saying.

FARIS: Hence when you play a game, you’re gracious in victory and you’re gracious in defeat. There’s nothing more annoying when you start to blame everybody else. You need to take some responsibility for what you did on the field.

WHOOPI: But your children aren’t playing on a game field where the parents are coming and hitting the ball for them. And then saying we won. My simple point is this, had this election happened anywhere else the way it did, we as America would have gone in to check and see all the checks and balances. We’ll never know what happened and now is the time for her to say ‘this is how I feel about what went on and I don’t like this happened and this is how I feel and this is how it felt to me. This is how I see it’ and she has a right to do that.

 

Foundation Series: Thomas Jefferson’s Natural Aristocracy vs. Artificial Aristocracy

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In 1813, Thomas Jefferson wrote:

There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents. Formerly bodily powers gave place among the aristoi. But since the invention of gunpowder has armed the weak as well as the strong with missile death, bodily strength, like beauty, good humor, politeness and other accomplishments, has become but an auxiliary ground of distinction. There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents; for with these it would belong to the first class. The natural aristocracy I consider as the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society. And indeed it would have been inconsistent in creation to have formed man for the social state, and not to have provided virtue and wisdom enough to manage the concerns of the society. May we not even say that that form of government is the best which provides the most effectually for a pure selection of these natural aristoi into the offices of government? The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provision should be made to prevent it’s ascendancy.

Where do we start with this one? Let’s start with the end where Jefferson makes the statement that ‘artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government.’

In order to understand where Jefferson is taking us, we have to take a second to understand how he defines the idea of ‘artificial aristocracy.’ Simply put, he said it is founded on ‘wealth and birth.’ The idea that they are ‘entitled’ to a place in government because of their money, or even the idea that it’s their birth-rite (Because that’s a thing in America?).

Now, let’s go back to it being a bad ingredient for those in government.

Take a look at politics today. For a moment, let’s put aside history and look just at today. We’ve morphed into this idea that only those who are wealthy are fit for political office. We’ve morphed into this idea that because someone else in the family, or even a spouse, was in office, that somehow sets into motion that they are next in line. That this is their time.

Truth be told, it isn’t! That’s just not how this idea was supposed to work.

This brings us to Jefferson’s idea that ‘natural aristocracy’ is ‘the most precious gift of nature for the instruction, the trusts, and government of society.’

Uninfluenced by their own lusts for power, they rely on their ‘talents and virtue.’ Something of a lost art in today’s society.

Let us focus on the promotion of a ‘natural aristocracy’ rather than give way to a polluted ‘artificial aristocracy.’

North Korea Claims Hydrogen Bomb Test A ‘Perfect Success’

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North Korea says that it has detonated a hydrogen bomb on Sunday calling it a ‘perfect success.’

The nuclear blast was carried out at the Punggye-ri site at 12:29 local time, triggering an initial magnitude 6.3 earthquake, followed by a magnitude-4.1 temblor that was possibly caused by a structural collapse, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The test was estimated to have a yield of 100 kilotons, meaning a blast that was four to five times more powerful than the explosion in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, a South Korean defense official told the country’s Yonhap News Agency.

In a televised statement, North Korea described the underground explosion, which triggered a large earthquake, as a “perfect success in the test of a hydrogen bomb for an ICBM.” Pyongyang said “the creditability of the operation of the nuclear warhead is fully guaranteed.”

The test came just hours after leader Kim Jong Un showed off what he described as a hydrogen bomb capable of being mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Missouri State Senator who said ‘I hope Trump is assassinated’ now says MEH, ‘I was just frustrated’

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On Thursday, Missouri Democrat State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal posted on Facebook in a thread saying, “I hope Trump is assassinated!” The comment was later deleted, but not before getting the attention she deserved.

The old post and delete, say it don’t spray it tactic just didn’t play out quite how she thought it would. Now, before you continue, put your hands together because now she’s got the attention of the Secret Service for making her comment.

“I hope Trump is assassinated!” Missouri state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, wrote during a morning Facebook exchange.

True. It was only 5 little words. But, those 5 little words, whether they were said in the heat of the moment or not, are likely a view she’s held for more than just 5 seconds. You know. Kind of like when your friend gets all drunk-honest on you. YIKES!

So, Secret Service is now looking into it? CHECK!

Other elected officials have a little something to say about it? CHECK!

Who said what, you ask?

via St. Louis Dispatch:

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.: “I condemn it. It’s outrageous. And she should resign.”

U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis: “(C)alling for the assassination of the President is a federal crime. … (She is) an embarrassment to our state. She should resign immediately.”

Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber: “The … Party will absolutely not tolerate calls for the assassination of the President. I believe she should resign.”

Missouri Senate Democratic Caucus leader Sen. Gina Walsh: “(She) should be ashamed of herself for adding her voice to this toxic environment.”

Republican Gov. Eric Greitens said in a statement: “We can have differences in our country, but no one should encourage political violence. The senator should resign.”

Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, and state Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat, also called for Chappelle-Nadal’s resignation.

Will she resign? Did she answer for what she said?

In an interview, she said:

“I didn’t mean what I put up. Absolutely not. I was very frustrated. Things have got to change,” Chappelle-Nadal told the Post-Dispatch. “It was in response to the concerns that I am hearing from residents of St. Louis. I have deleted it, and it should have been deleted, but there is something way more important that we should be talking about.”

She added later: “I am not resigning … What I said was wrong, but I am not going to stop talking about what led to that, which is the frustration and anger that many people across America are feeling right now.”

So… let me get this straight. You make a statement saying you hope the POTUS gets assassinated and now you’re all like you were just frustrated? That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works!

Good luck lady. However, in today’s uber-PC world, nothing will likely come of this and Trump will tweet something silly and everyone will forget all about it.

Planned Parenthood to Preschoolers: ‘Genitals don’t determine their gender’

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According to Planned Parenthood, children are never too young to be indoctrinated into thinking their genitals determine their gender.

Planned Parenthood has posted a new guideline for parents on their website on a page titled, “How do I talk with my preschooler about their body?”

Yeah, sure. Let’s completely dismiss the idea that starting with learning how to read, or write, or even starting with numbers and the alphabet would be a good idea. Nope. We need to start by telling children as young as 4 that their penis doesn’t necessarily make them a boy any more than a vagina would make them a girl.

That’s right. Planned Parenthood thinks we should be teaching preschoolers about transgenderism and gender fluidity.

This is absolute stupidity!

Here, have a look for yourself:

Gavin Edward Stafford is FINALLY here!

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After many long months, we can finally say we are officially grandparents! Finally, Mr. Gavin Edward Stafford is here.

Stats:

  • Born: August 4, 2017
  • Time: 15:21
  • Weight: 7 lbs 12 oz
  • Length: 20.5 inches

So, let me recap real quick like. Yeah, okay, we waited 9 long months. But, the closer this day got, the longer the days seemed to be and the longer the minutes and seconds seemed to tick by.

Our daughter-in-law was admitted the night before with the expectation that they would begin inducing delivery the following morning. About an hour before the scheduled time, her water broke and she began dilating roughly 1 cm an hour. Once she got around a 6… she was at a 10 and ready to begin pushing within an hour or so.

We walked into the room with seconds to spare to say we made it and to wish them good luck before the doctors and nurses shut us out. Now, it became the dreaded waiting game.

It seemed like time stood still. We kept checking the clock, only to find out it had just been a few minutes since our last time check. When we made it to the end of the first hour of waiting, we realized that this might just take a while. So, we kicked back and tried to relax the best we could.

Three hours later. YES! THREE. HOURS. LATER.

We finally got a text message from our son saying he was here and they were getting things cleaned up so we could come in.

Let me just say this: The anticipation. The excitement. The stress. The anxiety. The, all the other myriad of emotions running through our minds… when our son emerged from the corner to greet us, was one of the most amazing feelings we will never forget.

It’s a pivotal moment in a person when they finally start to put all the puzzle pieces together from their life and realize and understand things from a whole new perspective.

I remember at one point saying enough was enough and to take us to introduce us to his son, our grandson.

The moment we got to lay eyes on Gavin for the first time was truly a gift from God! God opened the heavens for a split second and allowed us a quick glimpse. And, all we can say? WOW! Just, Amazing!

I remember the first time I got to lay eyes on our son, Daniel. It broke me. I was in awe! And, when you get to set that feeling in your own child, it will have the same effect. Being able to hold your little one for the first time. Watching your child hold their child for the first time. Truly an amazing experience we’ll NEVER forget.

It is just so damn cool to be a small part of an in God’s creation. I know understand more fully the scripture that says we are all made in the image of God.

Wow. Just… WOW!

Fear Not; Only Believe

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The following is a transcript of a talk I gave during church service.

I was digging around the other day and found what I thought was an old journal entry that shed a little light on something I was having trouble understanding. I wasn’t able to figure out the exact date, and the name was smeared like it got wet or something. But, from what I was able to make out, it read something like this:

“Things really seem to be coming together. I’ll say, even though I’m not 100% on board with what he says will happen, he assures me that there’s enough room and everything will be okay. It still sounds a little crazy to me, but, yeah, sure, there’s a little part of me that believes him. I don’t know why. I just do. Does that make me a little crazy? Okay, yeah, just a little bit. Now, when the time is right, I’ll go with him and all his other friends. Here’s where this whole thing gets really crazy. He doesn’t even know exactly when, but, he has assured me that I’ll know when the time is right. I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant to accept such a strange, off the wall offer because, aside from just not being all there upstairs, it doesn’t seem like he thought this thing through. He says we’re going somewhere kind of special but doesn’t know where it is we’re going or even how long we’ll be gone. Which is part of why I’m a little scared. The other reason? I don’t like the dark. But, he said he’s got a plan. I turned to him the other day and made mention again that I’m not a big fan of the dark. I even asked him what he planned to do about it. That’s when Noah turned to me and said he’s gonna bring some flood lights.”

Brothers and Sisters, I am humbled to be talking to you today about setting our fears aside and simply just believing.

Yeah, sure, that’s easier than it sounds. It almost reminds me of an old song called, “Don’t worry, Be happy”. However, the message is the same: Fear Not, Only Believe.

Fear. We all have fears. But, what are we doing with our fears? Are we being manipulated, or even motivated by them?

For a long time now, fear has been used as a way to get people to do things. People in marketing do this all the time. Subaru, in a nutshell, says that if you buy their car and get into a really bad accident, you’ll live. Anti-smoking and anti-drug campaigns, “This is your brain… this is your brain on drugs.” You get the picture. Fear can sometimes get us to take action.

On the flip side, we sometimes employ fear as a tool. Parents, you know what I’m talking about here. We “motivate” our kids to get their homework done, chores checked off, scriptures studied, and so on and so on. And we do it, scaring them into getting these things done out of fear that we’ll take away their most prized possessions; their cell phones, fidget spinners, and video games.

There is one major problem with fear though. It seldom, if ever, produces real change.

In his April 2017, General Conference address, President Uchtdorf said:

“It is true that fear can have a powerful influence over our actions and behavior. But that influence tends to be temporary and shallow. Fear rarely has the power to change our hearts, and it will never transform us into people who love what is right and who want to obey Heavenly Father.

“People who are fearful may say and do the right things, but they do not feel the right things.”

Let us remember, God knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts.

We should also remember what 2 Nephi 9:39 says that “to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.”

This can be viewed as a map, if you will, that will help guide us to a better way.

When we focus on the things and fears of the world, we dismiss the truth that we really have nothing to fear. God doesn’t want us to fear. This is fairly evident in Isaiah 41:10 which says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.”

God, like Nationwide, is on our side. Allow me to echo what Uchtdorf said, “He loves us, and when we stumble, He wants us to rise up, try again, and become stronger.”

God is our ultimate motivator!

We also need to remember something else. That is, to coin a military phrase: He’s got our 6.

That should give us all the strength we ever need. In the military, when someone says they got your 6, it means they’re covering your rear sector. We can only see so much, and in the heat of the battle, much like life, we can’t always see everything that’s happening around us. So, someone will cover your blind spots per say. That’s where our Heavenly Father comes in. He’s got our back!

That’s not to say he’s our tour guide. That would kind of go against how things work. He’s not to make our choices for us. If that was the case, why would he give us our agency?

Think about it for a second. How many times have you been on vacation, and were doing some sort of activity where a tour guide was necessary?

I can think of two that, as a scout leader, we needed a guide! Without one, I’m not so certain we would have made it out alive.

On one instance, we went on a wild cave exploration. We had to suit up with pads and helmets to protect ourselves if we were to fall. We were even equipped with lights to help us see where we were going. Up front, ahead of us all was our tour guide. He showed us how to climb over and through things, knowing exactly which way was the safest. He gave no room for error.

The second time we had a guide was when we went white water rafting through the Royal Gorge. This time, things were a little different. Yeah, we had a guide, but this time, our guide was behind us, in the back of the raft. It was by design, as he was the one who would help steer, but it was different. Rather than being out front having us follow each of his steps precisely, this guide helped aid us and point us in the right direction. If we made a mistake, they would help steer us to safety.

Rather than protect us from falling like the cave guide, we were allowed room to make mistakes. Which, in turn, would give us the opportunity to learn from them and, hopefully, try not to make them again.

Yes. You could say fear was being used as a little motivator in both of these situations.

In the first, we were given tools that would help protect us from getting hurt and a guide that, if we followed his every move, would make sure we wouldn’t get hurt or lost.

In the second, we had someone experienced with us helping to guide us and steer us through the rapids. I’m pretty sure some of the youth thought our mistakes would lead us to certain death at the time.

God works much like both of these two examples. He has given us all the necessary tools so that we should not fear.

Satan, well, he just loves himself some fear. He uses our fears, our anxieties, against us in order to manipulate us. He helps us dwell on, even exaggerating the evil in the world.

God, on the other hand, reminds us many times throughout the scriptures to “be not afraid,” to “be of good cheer,” and to “fear not.” In 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

He hasn’t given us fear, Satan has. And, I’ll say, he’s given us plenty of things and evils of the world to be fearful of. We are, therefore, to have faith and trust in God to help us overcome those fears.

Uchtdorf says, “We are, therefore, not ignorant of the challenges of the world, nor are we unaware of the difficulties of our times. But this does not mean that we should burden ourselves or others with constant fear…. As His covenant people, we need not be paralyzed by fear because bad things might happen. Instead, we can move forward with faith, courage, determination, and trust in God as we approach the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

In my opinion, Deuteronomy 31:6 sums it up best:

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Remember, He’s got our 6!

Which, should bring us comfort in the face of fear that “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17)

God has also promised that “All things shall work together for your good if [you] walk uprightly.” (D&C 90:24)

For me, it’s that key word in there that says “if”. It says nothing in there about crawling over and cowering in the corner out of fear. It says “if [we] walk uprightly”. I’ll take that as an order to stand tall and stand proud knowing Heavenly Father has our back.

He’s proven that to us by showing how much he loves us. So much so in fact that he sent His only begotten Son.

It’s His example that gives us the model to replace fear with faith.

Uchtdorf reminds us, “if we ever find ourselves living in fear or anxiety, or if we ever find that our own words, attitudes, or actions are causing fear in others, I pray with all the strength of my soul that we may become liberated from this fear by the divinely appointed antidote to fear: the pure love of Christ, for “perfect love casteth out fear (1 John 4:18).”

And, he continues by saying, “Christ’s perfect love gives us the confidence to press through our fears and place our complete trust in the power and goodness of our Heavenly Father and of His Son, Jesus Christ.”

The challenge then becomes to “replace fear with Christ’s perfect love. [As] Christ’s love will replace fear with faith!”

He knows us. He loves us. He knows what lies ahead in our future. He has given us all the tools and resources necessary to overcome fear and replace it with faith so that one day we may return to him once more.

Brothers and Sisters, may we head to the words of Christ when he said, “Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36) This I say in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Algebra is now a ‘Civil Rights issue’?

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According to a California community college chancellor, the requirements of algebra are now a ‘civil rights issue‘.

Knowing this is being proposed somewhere in the liberal California fairy-tale state of make-believe should say everything we need to know. Sadly, this likely could gain traction because someone is crying about how math is somehow an issue of race.

That’s right… Math is racist.

The Blaze reports:

loy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor of California Community Colleges System, made the suggestion during a recent interview with National Public Radio, calling the requirement a “civil rights issue.” Specifically, Oakley said he wants to get rid of the requirement for any community college student who isn’t a STEM major, or focusing their studies in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.

In the interview, Oakley said:

“This is also something that plagues all Americans, particularly low-income Americans. If you think about all the underemployed or unemployed Americans in this country who cannot connect to a job in this economy, which is unforgiving of those students who don’t have a credential, the biggest barrier for them is this algebra requirement. It’s what has kept them from achieving a credential.”

Set aside for a second that community colleges are usually stepping stones to a four-year college; instead, take a look at what was said. Take for instance these ‘low-income Americans’ in reference to how they are ‘underemployed or unemployed’. Oakley is saying that ‘the biggest barrier for them is this algebra requirement,’ and that it’s thee thing keeping them from advancing ahead.

Yeah, and? Seriously? Yeah, serious. If they suck at math, then yes, they probably won’t be qualified enough for that higher paying job. And, if they suck at math, well, then, take a hard look at who’s teaching them silly.

Math, much like facts, doesn’t have feelings.

That’s one of the main reasons for having smaller places of education like community colleges. They’re there for people to further their education. You know, in order to advance their careers and stuff.

Oakley continued:

“[S]ince the 1950s, we decided that the only measure of a student’s ability to reason or to do some sort of quantitative measure is algebra. What we’re saying is we want as rigorous a course as possible to determine a student’s ability to succeed, but it should be relevant to their course of study. There are other math courses that we could introduce that tell us a lot more about our students.”

Like, zoiks! What other kinds of math courses? Statistics? Yeah, that’s easier! *shakes head no

What a student learns in algebra are the building blocks in order to be able to learn and understand higher-level math. You can’t take a statistics class and expect to succeed without first understanding simple algebra. You can’t expect to succeed in the real world, in those higher wage jobs without first understanding simple algebra. You can’t expect to do well at everyday things without having a grasp on basic algebra.

How will you be able to calculate how much of a discount you get during a sale at your favorite store?

How on earth would you be able to calculate how many cubic yards of compost are needed in order to be able to feed your 150% organic garden?

Again, you wouldn’t without a basic idea of algebra.

Now then. With all of that being said. Didn’t he say something about this being a ‘civil rights issue’?

Let’s define ‘civil rights’ first. Cornell Law’s Wex Legal Dictionary defines it as:

A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class. Various jurisdictions have enacted statutes to prevent discrimination based on a person’s race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual orientation.

Get it? Good. Now, how is algebra a civil rights issue? It’s NOT! Again, math, yeah, doesn’t have feelings. And it certainly doesn’t discriminate. It’s as easy as that.

Why lower the standard to make your numbers look good?

After all, this is just a game about numbers.

Independence Day: A Moment to Reflect

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“Today, we celebrate our Independence day.”

It’s one day a year that we line our streets with American flags, fill the air with the smell of fireworks, and talk it up about how awesome it is to celebrate the 4th of July.

*tires screeching to a stop

“What did you just say?”

“I said, ‘the 4th of July.'”

*slap

“What the heck was that for?”

“You said you were going to ‘celebrate the 4th of July’, that’s what!”

Alright, enough of the back and forth. I think you get the hint. And, I want to take just a second to rant about this for just a second. Sure, it technically is the 4th of July. But we don’t celebrate the 4th of July. We celebrate our INDEPENDENCE on the 4th of July.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. It really does get to me. Why? Well, for one, it just doesn’t make sense. Why would we celebrate the date? Shouldn’t we celebrate what happened… on that date? YES! That makes sense.

I sincerely hope we haven’t forgotten just what we’re to celebrate either. So many people think it’s just another day to get off from work. Or go to the lake. Or… whatever, you get my point. It’s about celebrating the declaration of our independence.

In a letter to his wife, Abigail, dated July 3, 1776, John Adams said:

“Time has been given for the whole People, maturely to consider the great Question of Independence and to ripen their judgments, dissipate their Fears, and allure their Hopes, by discussing it in News Papers and Pamphletts, by debating it, in Assemblies, Conventions, Committees of Safety and Inspection, in Town and County Meetings, as well as in private Conversations, so that the whole People in every Colony of the 13, have now adopted it, as their own Act. — This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago.

“But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

“You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”

Are we doing this all wrong? Not entirely. They understood what was done. Even they celebrated. But they didn’t celebrate the day, they celebrated the completion of the act. For Adams, that day should have fallen on the 2nd of July. And, if we did our homework, we would know the course of events and why.

So, what are we celebrating? A day… or the declaring of our Independence?

I challenge you to take time out of the day to read the Declaration of Independence. Ponder on what it really says. Take a second think about what they really did.

On this, the fourth day of July, I wish to you a Blessed and Happy INDEPENDENCE Day.