FREEDOM ON INDEPENDENCE DAY – WHY JULY 4TH STILL MATTERS
By Del Albright, Veteran, Patriot, and Defender of American Freedom
Every year, the Fourth of July rolls around with barbecues, fireworks, and family gatherings. But as Americans fire up the grill and light the skies, I believe we must pause and remember why this day matters — not just as a holiday, but as a hard-won gift of blood, sacrifice, and an unshakable belief in liberty.
July 4th is more than a date on the calendar.
It marks the birth of the greatest experiment in human freedom the world has ever seen — the day when bold men with even bolder ideas declared independence from tyranny. They risked everything so that we could one day speak freely, worship how we choose, live the way we like, protect our families, and carve our own paths.
As a veteran who has stood on more than one foreign soil and worn the uniform of this nation, I don’t take these freedoms lightly.
Freedom is not free. It is earned, defended, and carried forward by each generation. And if we’re not careful — if we become apathetic or forgetful — we could lose the very liberties that define who we are.
This Fourth of July, I ask you to do more than just wave a flag.
Tell the story of America to your children and grandchildren. Talk about the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, the Civil War, the struggle for civil rights, and every chapter where Americans stood up for what’s right. Remind your friends why the right to speak, vote, travel, worship, and bear arms is not guaranteed anywhere else in the world like they are here.
Let’s celebrate, yes. But let’s also recommit to being stewards of freedom — on the trail, in our communities, and across the nation.
We live in a country where dreams are still possible, where voices still matter, and where the red, white, and blue still fly because of the brave.