<img class="alignleft" src="https://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/4th-of-july21.jpg" alt="" width="448" height="335" />Last weekend we celebrated the day Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence.

That document begins:

<em>When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.</em><em> </em>

<em>We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.</em>

Because of that document, we can celebrate a lot of freedoms in America. Freedom of speech. Freedom to worship. Freedom to do what we believe leads to <em>life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness</em>.

We also enjoy certain rights. Rights guaranteed by our Constitution. Check <a href="http://www.tep-online.info/laku/usa/rights.htm" target="_blank">here</a> for the complete list.

Sometimes we tend to forget those freedoms and rights did not come by chance. Those freedoms came though the blood of soldiers.

Because we’re also human, we tend to be selfish with our freedoms and rights.
<p style="text-align: center;">We speak words that tear others down.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We worship the false idols of fame and pleasure.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We pursue whatever makes us feel better–and mow down anyone or anything that gets in our way.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Are there better ways to use our freedoms and rights?</p>
I think so.

So does <a href="http://holleygerth.com/about/" target="_blank">Holly Gerth</a>, who suggests we begin with the highest freedom—LOVE. <a href="http://judythewriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/4th.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-5848 size-full" src="http://judythewriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/4th.png" alt="4th" width="652" height="489" /></a>