Published: June 30, 2009 01:05 am      

Independence Day a time for celebration, remembrance

The Fourth of July is a great holiday in Oklahoma. From fireworks to hot dogs, watermelon to a weekend on the lake, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The sunny Oklahoma weather makes it a perfect time to be outside, enjoying the natural beauty of our state and celebrating our great nation with friends and family.

As we celebrate these carefree summer days, it’s all too easy to forget why we can be so carefree — for more than 200 years, brave men and women have fought and died to defend our freedoms and ensure our sacred liberties.

Independence Day commemorates the day when our founding fathers declared their independence from Great Britain, but that declaration would have had little effect without the commitment and courage of soldiers to fight the Revolutionary War. Soldiers in subsequent American wars up to the present day have continued to protect our liberties and ideals.

The freedoms and blessings we enjoy are so expected and commonplace now that we often forget how exceptional our way of life really is. The United States is the freest, most prosperous society the world has ever known, and it is our responsibility not only to protect that legacy for future generations but to use those resources to make the world a better place.

Half a world away, American troops — including many Oklahomans — are fighting to bring freedom to people who have never known it. Each day the newspaper brings another reminder of the true cost of our way of life and how precious our freedoms really are.

Even as we celebrate America’s independence, that’s a lesson we cannot forget.

I hope each of you have a happy and safe Independence Day with your loved ones. To the soldiers and veterans, I want to thank you for all that you have done, and continue to do, in defense of our proud nation.



GOV. BRAD HENRY may be reached via his Web site at www.governor.ok.gov.