July and American Freedoms

Recently Hazel and I were in Alexandria Virginia after an absence of many years. It is certainly not the same place. It is now a bustling, busy place of commerce with wall to wall people and I say that literally. I am starting to age and my first impression is physical. It is difficult to get around fighting traffic and the amounts of people milling about. My second and more deeply thought about impression is that the American dream is still alive. I have an immediate flashback of a painting/illustration by the famous American artists Norman Rockwell titled freedom of speech. Our founders defined it as one of our freedoms and we still cherish it as one of our cornerstones. We may have turned up our volume when we converse with others or about others but the freedom of speech is still firmly in place. Franklin Roosevelt in 1941 declared in a speech to congress these four freedoms should apply to all Americans:

Freedom of speech and expression
Freedom of worship
Freedom from want
Freedom from fear

Enjoy your fourth of July this year, and remember how fortunate we are in this country that we still strive to ensure those four freedoms. Some of us are more quiet and less vocal, or less able to speak of our love of freedom, but none the less we are no less grateful than the newest immigrant to our shores for the freedoms we have. Listening to the largo from the THE NEW WORLD SYMPHONY, you can imagine how it would touch a new citizen from the old world now and all their lives.


Comment

Thanks Jim, that symphony speaks to me on so many levels.

Have a happy 4th.

Argus