The end of this week is Memorial Day weekend. Many of us will take advantage of this three-day weekend to relax and gather with family and friends. Others will spend time on Missouri’s awesome lakes and rivers. Some of our friends are celebrating the end of the school year with a quick trip out of town. Others may spend a quiet weekend at home or check a few “to-do” projects off their list. There will be lots of food eaten and perhaps a few beverages consumed as well. All of this is just fine. We all need time to relax and unplug. But, that is not what this weekend holiday is about.
On Memorial Day we honor and remember our fallen heroes who fought for our freedom and paid the ultimate price. They were unable to make the next family cookout. They could no longer go to the lake or take a trip out of town with their family. These heroes would not see their children graduate or walk their daughters down the aisle. Their children would grow up without one, or possibly both, of their parents. All the plans these families had made changed in an instant.
Instead of being home with their families, these heroes:
- Spent the Christmas of 1777 barefoot in the snow at Valley Forge
- Fought in the bloody fields of Gettysburg over Independence Day 1863
- Stormed the beaches at Normandy France in June of 1944
- Landed at Inchon in the fall of 1950
- Battled street-by-street in Baghdad in the Spring of 2003
They fought so we could be free. They gave their lives so there would be more barbeques, picnics, weekend trips and family gatherings – even though some of these events would be a person short as a result of their service. They gave their lives to defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic and to protect us.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
Our Declaration of Independence is a list of grievances our Founding Fathers had against the tyrannical King George III. This document is a statement of why the United States separated from Great Britain and justly formed a sovereign country. Every person who signed the Declaration knew they were committing treason against the British Crown. They were British subjects at the time, and had they met with British Regulars when exiting Independence Hall they knew they would be executed on the spot.
The final sentence of the Declaration reads, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Our Founding Fathers did not make this pledge to a piece of land, a document or an idea. They made this pledge to “each other.” What a profound act of courage and selflessness!
While you are celebrating this Memorial Day Weekend, please take a few minutes to honor and remember our fellow Americans who gave the last full measure in order that we would remain free. Think about what you can do to perpetuate their legacy. Will you pledge to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic?
There is something each of us can do. I hope you will consider volunteering for Convention of States Action. Have a safe and blessed Memorial Day weekend.
In liberty,
Brett
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