Possum Philosophy: The work to preserve our freedoms still continues

By ROBERT CAHILL/Columnist

By the time this column is published, my favorite holiday, Independence Day, the Fourth of July, will be passed. Coming however as it does, on a Friday, many Americans will celebrate the entire weekend. Though most of us never gave it a thought, Independence Day is the only holiday that celebrates the United States.
According to the Web site Celebrating the Fourth of July (http://www.celebrating-fourthjuly.com), some historians claim the date is an arbitrary one. For one thing, folks in New England had been fighting the British Army since April of 1775. For another, the first actual motion to declare independence was made in the Continental Congress (which was meeting in Philadelphia) on June 8, 1776. Finally, after long and sometimes fairly heated debate, Congress voted unanimously (12-0, New York delegates abstained), though secretly, on July 2 that the colonies would declare independence from the kingdom of Great Britain.
Although Thomas Jefferson had written a magnificent document, even in 1776 nothing accomplished by a committee came easily. Congress haggled over and edited the text until after 11 a.m. on July 4 (although much of Jefferson’s ideas and work remained), then released an unsigned copy to the printers. Even this is the subject of some debate. According to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia (http://www.en.wikipedia.org), the official word on this subject is there was no copy because the official, handwritten one was somehow destroyed during the printing process. The official copy was signed on Aug. 2, though Philadelphia held public readings and lit bonfires to celebrate on July 8. So why celebrate on July 4? It was the date that the official declaration was passed. It was also the date that citizens in Philadelphia received official word of a decision to break away from Great Britain.
Over the years, the nature of celebrating our nation’s birthday on July 4 has both changed greatly yet stayed the same as well. Wikipedia credits Bristol, R.I., with the first celebration of the first anniversary of the signing of this precious document. The good citizens of the smallest state fired 13 guns (for the 13 colonies) once in the morning and again as evening fell on July 4, 1777. Bristol is also credited with the longest running continuous celebration.
In Philadelphia, where it all started, citizens had a more familiar celebration. Those folks held an official dinner for members of the Continental Congress, toasts (no doubt many, many of these) 13-gun salutes, speeches (no doubt many of these too, after all what better excuse than a speech for another toast), prayers, music, parades, reviewing of the troops and fireworks. Ships in the port were decked out in red, white and blue bunting.
By 1778, the Revolutionary War was on and Gen. George Washington marked the anniversary with an artillery salute and a double ration of rum for his soldiers (which no doubt made the troops happy). Meanwhile across the Atlantic Ocean, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, our ambassadors to France, held a dinner for their fellow Americans residing in Paris (with I feel sure lots of speeches and toasting).
In 1779, July 4 fell on Sunday so celebrations were postponed to Monday, July 5 (the start of the three-day weekend).
By 1781, the General Court of Massachusetts, which is the official name of the legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, became the first state legislature to recognize Independence Day as a state holiday.
However, according to Wikipedia, it was 1870 before the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an official (although unpaid) holiday for federal employees. In 1941, Congress corrected that oversight making it an official paid holiday.
As I said, Independence Day is my favorite holiday and it is so for a number of reasons. It comes at my favorite time of the year, early summer. Folks are generally in a better mood as many (at least those few who can afford gas and a vacation too) are either on vacation or soon to take one, and they don’t have the stress associated with the commercialization of Christmas. Celebrations are informal; clothes are generally T-shirts and shorts, or at least light as it is warm. Food is informal too, hot dogs and hamburgers cooked over an open grill, ice-cream, often homemade for dessert. And, best of all, fireworks. I come from a long line of “fireworks lovers.” Nearly everyone on both sides of my family is fireworks fanatics. We love them.
However, this year I am happier at this time of celebrating our American freedom than I have been in several years. Just a few days ago, the Supreme Court, the high court of our land, actually made a stand to protect one of our personal freedoms. Now this is a court with which I have not been pleased for some time now.
This set of justices has allowed or at least turned a blind eye to the trampling of many of the very freedoms that stand as the basic tenets of our land. From allowing wiretaps without requiring a court-approved warrant to holding people without due process of law, they have, since the terrorist attacked the World Trade Center, seemed inclined to treat all of us citizens as guilty until proven innocent rather than as it should be. They have appeared to more or less be a shill for the current administration.
However, with this latest monumental ruling they have (somewhat at least) redeemed themselves in my eyes. Finally, they have made official what many of us regular folks already knew. That it is perfectly legal for a law-abiding citizen of this fair land to own guns for their personal protection. They struck down a District of Columbia law banning guns and put several other similar laws in jeopardy.
No, they did not remove all gun-control measures. And, frankly, I don’t mind certain items, such as not allowing people with documented mental health problems or records of committing violent crime to own guns. Yes, there are still too many restrictions to suit me, but perhaps the faulty ones of those will fall eventually and at least it is now official that the Second Amendment guarantees my right and yours, as American citizens to own guns for defense of home and family. Bravo for the Supreme Court (at least for this one ruling).
So, in closing, I hope Independence Day found all of you well, happy, safe and sound. We don’t live in a perfect country, but we live in what is still (mostly anyway) the land of the free and the home of the brave and the best place on earth to live (at least those of us lucky enough to inhabit the wonderful southeastern U.S.). Have a wonderful weekend, rain or shine, and for my fellow automobile-lovers, be sure and stop by the Car Nuts Car Show in Chilhowie on Saturday. My good friend Jim Stamper and all the fine members of the Car Nuts Car Club put on a great, family friendly show and best of all, it’s free.

A freelance journalist, Robert “Rocky” Cahill writes regularly for the News & Messenger. His Possum Philosophy column appears in each Saturday edition of the News & Messenger.