It will soon be the fourth of July. In the grand tradition of the holiday, people will be celebrating with cookouts, picnics, and fireworks. However, I suspect that many people have forgotten the full significance of this holiday and what it means to this country. Freedom isn't free!! It never has been! The origin of our freedom cost thousands of lives. For others it meant incurring incredible hardships in order for the United States of America to win independence from England. Over the years, many more have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can maintain that hard won freedom.

We probably can find much wrong with things in this country, but the point is that we have the freedom to complain if that is what we want to do. Though this country has some major problems, I would much rather live here than in any other country. In order to keep freedom alive and well in this country, it is still going to cost.

I believe that those of us who have resources carry a real responsibility to help those with lesser resources have "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." We can give our time by helping build homes for those who are homeless, serving meals to those who are hungry, helping to clean up neighborhoods where crime is as high as the trash piles, etc. When we help others have a better life, we are ensuring that the freedoms our founding fathers precipitated are sustained for all. Oh, and one more thing: in the process of helping make a better life for others, we ensure a better life for ourselves. Do something good for someone over the holiday. Happy Fourth of July.