Tomorrow marks that point in Summer where we have parties and pool gatherings and all of those warm weather meals like hot dogs, potato salad...beer. Some will go to designated parks and other places to watch fireworks; others will enjoy lit up skies from the comfort of their patios, maybe even light up a few of their own. We fall into that crowd, mainly because our aging dog is not a fan of thunder or anything that sounds like it. The 4th of July: a celebration of the birth of a nation. I wonder how many of us actually think about that, about all of the sacrifices from all of the wars fought by young men and women to have the freedom we have, a freedom that seems to be eroding with each passing year.
There are some angry voices who sneer at the fact that the American War of Independence was instigated by rich land owners. Perhaps, but let's not forget that these men put their fortunes, families and lives on the line. And what would cause a person to leverage all that they have for independence? Let's see if you remember sixth grade history. The Stamp Act of 1765: A tax on printed materials like newspapers, magazines and legal documents on British paper with a royal stamp. It was intended to pay for British troops in North America. The Townsand Acts of 1767. A series of tax leveled by Great Britain on the Colonists to pay for the British military, judges and other government officials of the Crown. The Tea Act of 1773, which allowed an East India company to sell tea to the colonies without taxes imposed by The Townsand Acts. The Intolerable or Coercive Acts of 1774. A series of laws imposed by Parliament to essentially shut down Massachusetts Bay - and all trade - as a punishment for the Boston Tea Party.
Taxation without representation..."describes a populace that is required to pay taxes to a government authority without having any say in that government's policies." Kagan, J. (February 15, 2024) Taxation Without Representation: What It Means and History. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com. Taxes affect everybody, not just the rich. Well, just about everybody who works, anyway. The only group of individuals who were most likely not affected by crippling British taxes were the frontiersmen and others who lived through local bartering systems. And while the intent of taxation is to have a functioning and thriving society, we seem to be reliving many of the frustrations of the early colonists. I mean, how would you feel if you were taxed severely for programs that have no impact on you whatsoever? Wait a minute...
Anyway, you'd be hard pressed to find an average American citizen who can sum up the reason for the federal holiday tomorrow. Even fewer would know about the significance of places like Bunker Hill or Valley Forge much less the suffering and loss of life in the effort to have independence. I'll go a step further and speculate that few people with the right to vote in this country, a right and privilege paid for with blood, can really tell you much about any of the wars we fought in the last two hundred years. Nor can they even comprehend the horror and loss of life suffered by men and women, draftees and volunteers who gave everything, held friends in dire moments or never quite really "came home" if they survived. We don't think about because we don't have to. We don't think about people in uniform putting their lives on the line everyday in far away places we've never heard of. We don't think about them, but we should.
Enjoy your fireworks and food tomorrow. Remember that you still live in a place, no matter who you are where you can make a descent living if you're willing to work hard and do a job that society actually needs. And try to remember all of those in uniform who have signed their name on a line, much like our forefathers did, swearing to give everything, even their lives to provide protection against foreign and domestic enemies. Try to think about how far we've come and the potential we have because there are still men and women willing spend part of their lives protecting it.
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho
Comments