Wherever we are on this 2026 Independence Day — 250 years from the nation’s initial Declaration of Independence in 1776 — we should face it with with deep sobriety as well as gratitude. We can add joy at the sight of our glorious National Mall in its new state of restoration!
This nation has been under attack in unprecedented ways.
Freedom is not free. It has always had to be fought for. It is not a place where everything IS free (often at the expense of others) — it is a place where sovereign individuals are free to live in and contribute to a society within a system of laws and principles that best lead to equal opportunity for prosperity and peace. It does not mean everyone is equal in abilities or achievements, but in the freedom to pursue dreams and goals, and a good life, based on values, merit and effort.
A New Dawn for America
Leading up to this 250th anniversary, understanding of the steady framework provided for a true and free Republic — our Constitution — has become precipitously eroded. Education has failed to sustain and faithfully instruct generations about the nation’s foundational principles and those who gave their lives to defend them.
Two hundred and fifty years is a long time, and corruption is not an anomaly in human events. As surely as gravity pulls down, negative aspects of human nature, if not battled against, become the wide and easy path that leads to destruction. Instead of dedicated citizens and elected leaders correctly representing the needs of the people, laxity on the electorate’s side gives rise to a self-appointed aristocracy which resists dethroning and constantly wars against those legislators endeavoring to correctly carry out their responsibilities.
The United States is a representative democracy, blending aspects of a Republic and a democracy. The danger of a pure “democracy” was best summarized by Thomas Jefferson, who said: “A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.”
Have we seen this???
In a true Republic, on the other hand, political power rests with the public and their elected representatives. Power is exercised according to a constitution or charter, a core principle of which is the “rule of law”. That rule of law includes a system of checks and balances to protect minorities from the absolute will of the majority. The rule of law is the stabilizer.
In recent times, due in large part to the infuence of the media (including social media), we have witnessed minorities subverting the will of the majority through the sheer force of public “presence”. Those who shout the loudest appear to have the force of numbers whether that is a fallacy or not.
Our Pledge of allegiance includes the words… “and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all…” not just the ones with the loudest voice. “Loud” is not a qualification for lawful correctness.
Peace and freedom cannot thrive where lawlessness prevails.
This nation needs a new dawn — not a new beginning but a restoration and rebirth of what its founders toiled over from their own intense experiences with tyranny. America has been reliving the birth pangs of its first birth in 1776, with 140 times the population, almost 9 times the landmass and difficulties never imagined in the past. But hence our national emblem…the eagle…
The eagle was chosen as our national emblem for its qualities of strength, freedom and independence, symbolizing God’s majesty, protection, and renewed strength — the ability to RISE above the STORMS. The eagle’s watchful eye and swift descent is reflective of God’s judgment, which may seem long in coming but in the end, precise in its execution.
Let’s celebrate this 4th of July with gratitude for our fighters at all levels, with a special salute to our military. And let us also be fighters wherever we are called to uphold what our forefathers fought for. [Recommend reading this site’s article, “The Power of One”; all it takes is one first step!]
©Copyright 2026 Nancy Diraison/Diraison Publishing; All Rights Reserved. July, 2026 /Respectful sharing permitted with appropriate source credit and link back to this website. Copyright infringement constitutes fraud and theft.
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Dreamstime photo credits:
Fireworks over Capital Mall:ID 448627908 © Olga Lepeshkina | Dreamstime.com
New Dawn over Mt. RushmoreID 99536690 © Goldilock Project | Dreamstime.com
Eagle swooping over valley:ID 278181366 © Mykhailo Polenok | Dreamstime.com
Child w/father/fireworks: ID 149546350© Konstantin Iuganov| Dreamstime.com
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