Independence Day: Our Past, Present And Future
On July 4, 1776, the American people revolted against a tyrannical empire that had long oppressed them. Through steadfast determination, Christian values and democratic principles, they declared independence against overwhelming odds. Today, we celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, BBQ, parades, and the waiving of old glory while praising a day off from work. All of which are great things.
However, we cannot truly celebrate without remembering the sacrifices made in the name of independence and pausing to reflect on a life before it. This may be hard to imagine seeing as so many Americans never leave the comfort of their hometowns much less the country.
Like many Americans, I had never left the comfort of the United States until I joined the Marine Corps to become a Force Recon Marine. Over many deployments to Afghanistan, I witnessed first-hand what true oppression was under Taliban rule.
Americans side by side with Afghans fought tooth and nail to uproot tyranny in pursuit of a free Afghanistan for future generations. Yet, we saw that dream and 20 years of sacrifice disappear in a moment when our government chose to withdraw in August of 2021 and abandon Afghanistan. Another reminder of how fragile freedom is and quickly it can be lost.
When I began to identify signs that President Joe Biden was pulling our troops from Afghanistan, I knew American freedom fighters had to act in the absence of our own government. I gathered a group of like-minded friends behind a shared vision of rescuing my longtime friend and former interpreter, Aziz, from certain death. We ultimately rescued my friend and his family along with 17,000 others.
And while those 17,000 will be blessed by the freedoms found here in America, 40,000,000 Afghans will now be victims to oppression and tyranny once again. 20,000,000 women and girls will be treated as sex slaves and forbidden to gain an education, a voice and even the chance to show their faces. They will tragically live out their lives dreaming of a freedom that they once had a glimpse of.
For many in America who have not witnessed or choose to be blind to such true oppression, there seems to be a growing ignorance that labels the land of the free as the land of tyranny. Over the past two decades I have observed our values slowly denigrated by a society that knows only freedom all the while chanting oppression.
Yet, those who chant loudest have not seen true oppression and ironically chant it from the very pulpit of freedom they claim doesn’t exist. And, while I am often repulsed by their message against a free nation that I hold so dear, I rejoice in the fact their voice can be freely vocalized even in my disagreement. That is the point of freedom, that is America. That is why America is still a beacon of hope around the world and despite threats of many who claim they will leave; it is why the immigration lines are millions long to come in but empty to leave.
America is great, its exceptional… because it is free. Aziz, his family and the 17,000 Afghans who we were honored to bring here will certainly not complain about American oppression. No, just the opposite, they will embrace their new freedom and thrive in the land of opportunity. A freedom that has been fought, bled, and died for since the first American warrior donned a uniform in 1775.
Independence Day is about INDEPENDENCE. Self-government. Self-rule. The ability to pursue our own interests without an overreaching and tyrannical government. The past week we’ve seen many of our rights restored in several Supreme Court opinions, which is a phenomenal lead up to Independence Day.
We need to do for others what the founders did for us: reject the belief that politicians have the right to tell us what to think, how to worship and the path that we must follow in the pursuit of our own happiness. We need to celebrate not only what has been, but all that is possible if we pursue the path of liberty.
On this Independence Day, let us give thanks for those who have gone before us and re-commit ourselves to the ideals that have made America the greatest nation on earth. Let us continue to give hope and direction to oppressed peoples everywhere as we hold high the torch of liberty, freedom, and justice.
Chad Robichaux is the founder and president of Mighty Oaks Foundation, as well as co-founder of Save Our Allies.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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The leftist and Marxists ideologues have defamed our historical icons, torn down their statues and imprinted the idea that America is little more than a Colonial Empire and the epicenter of Slavery; murdering indigenous people and starting wars along the way. While our history certainly has some horrible scars, our Constitution and Bill of Rights have been the roadmap to our positive evolution and a guiding light to the world for almost 230 years. Real historical truths have been buried. I doubt that many American college graduates would be able to tell you that more than a hundred million innocent people were killed at the hands of their Communist and Socialist Dictators in the 20th Century. More than were killed on all sides in all countries in both World Wars. They don’t give America credit for literally twice saving the world from some of those Dictators or that we didn’t assume complete control of those vanquished enemy states like every other empire in human history.
As for America being the epicenter of slavery, they certainly wouldn’t be able to tell you that the slaves in America were less than .03 of the world’s slave population which was primarily in the Middle East, India, and South America. At most, there were 300,000 slaves in America and 10 to 14 million worldwide at the same time. Or that most of those slaves were taken out of Africa by Muslims, not Europeans. Or that making slaves out of their conquered enemies was common among all the Indian tribes in the Northern hemisphere and, in fact, in most all civilizations for as long as there is recorded history. Our history has been totally propagandized.
As for gay pride month, I personally don’t care what anyone does in their private life as long as they aren’t abusing someone. But I’m not sure why we need a month to celebrate someone else’s personal sexual proclivities or even their skin color; i.e. Black History month.
In June of 2021, before Biden left 10 billion in top grade military equipment to the Taliban, and after we spent 80 billion over 20 years fighting them, he ordered the rainbow flag to be flown over the soon to be abandoned 11 million dollar U.S. embassy in Kabul. First, it used to be illegal to fly anything but “Old Glory” at Federal buildings but Brandon and his Secretary of State, Blinken changed that. It’s embarrassing and disgraceful, especially to the millions that have given their lives or limbs in service to this country, to have our country’s sacred symbols and institutions politicized in this way.
Then there’s the BLM flag, proudly worn by all the Democrats and many “woke” Corporations. Again, in an amazing distortion of history, few realize that the actual founders of “Black Lives Matter” are race baiting grifters who made millions from ignorant sympathizers in the wake of George Floyd’s death. They proudly stated on their website (before they took it down) that they are anti-Christian, anti-family and avowed Marxists. We all know that the Democrats supported the 2020 BLM riots in dozens of states which burned our cities and caused billions in property damage and killed 19 people. The riots which also led to the Democratic support of “defund the police” and “no bail’ policies which are destroying our cities and killing innocents daily in record crime sprees across the country. Nobody believes Floyd should have been killed but he was a drug addicted criminal and for the Democrats to give him the equivalent of a State Funeral and raise monuments in his honor is disgusting and abhorrent. Even Obama, on the day after the tragedy in Uvalde, had the audacity to say; “As we grieve for the children of Ulvalde today, we should take time to recognize that two years have passed since George Floyd was murdered under the knee of a police officer”. How dare he eulogize an abusive, drug addicted thief and convicted criminal on the backs of innocent murdered children. That’s the essence of the current Democratic party in America.
I don’t know if there is a way back from these levels of lies and distortions that seem to be embedded in the hearts and minds of many Americans. The mid-terms will most certainly be a last chance to stop this insanity.