Stop a moment to think about Independence Day.

This holiday weekend, typically one of backyard bar-b-ques, sparklers, fireworks, gathering with family and friends, stop for a moment and do something you have probably never done before on this holiday, stop and give a moments thought to the meaning of this day.

In these perilous times where we appear to be replaying with modern technology the crusades, when the press and academia, and yes, many of our Senators and Congresspeople seem hell-bent upon telling everything that they believe is wrong with America, Stop! and consider objectively everything America stands for and has accomplished in our 231 year history.

America stands for Freedom! Freedom to express yourself in any way you wish as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others. Independence! Independence to pusue your brand of happiness in any manner in which you choose, so long as your pursuit does not infringe on the rights of another. Opportunity! Opportunity to arrive on our shores as many immigrants do, with nothing to their names, and yet they are able to achieve a degree of wealth, and a comfort of lifestyle here that they could not achieve anywhere else on the globe. This is why people risk life and love to come here year after year. You don't see people sacrificing their lives to immigrate to the people's paradise of Cuba, or China, or Venezuela.

We hear day in and day out of the failures of our country, our country's leaders, our military, our culture, our society, our very existence. I say to those who can do nothing but complain, if you love France or Cuba so much go and live there, you are doing America no good here.

No Country in the history of the world has accomplished so much as has America. No country has been as generous, as noble, as honest, as forthright, or posessed as much integrity as America. America, as Ronald Reagan said, is the "shining city upon the hill". but much more than that we have consistently backed up our ideals with our blood, treasure, and deeds.

America was primarily responsible for the fall of Nazi Germany, after our victory, we spent humdreds of millions of dollars to rebuild Europe, and now they show their gratitude by condemning America. America was responsible for the fall of the most oppressive regime in history, the Soviet Union, without firing a shot, and now those satellite countries that were crushed under the soviet boot for so long are now beacons of democracy on a continent bereft of that. They have become our strongest allies, replacing the lily-livered socialist countries of France and Belgium. And in the last 6 years we have liberated Afghanistan and Iraq, giving 50 million people their first chance to govern themselves. We have not stolen their oil, as John Kerry intimated was our reason for going, we have not plundered their country, as Micheal Moore stated we would do. We have not tortured them as Teddy Kennedy stated we have.

We hear from the media that it is our support of Isreal that has caused the Muslims to hate us, but they fail to mention the $120 million a year we give to the Palestinian Authority for those very people.

America has made mistakes, but far fewer than any other country. We do not conquer, we do not enslave, or subjugate, We liberate, help our enemies get back on their feet, and then leave. We do far more for the world than all of the other countries combined. We have given time effort and money to 183 nations across tha globe, most of those owe their very existence to the benevolence of the United States of America.

So when you are wolfing down your hamburgers this weekend, think for a moment about the history of our nation and reflect that you are a part of the Greatest Nation in Earth's History! Also reflest that our sons and daughters are in harm's way, fighting to defend the very freedoms that we are celebrating this weekend.

Here in Atkinson we have a unique opportunity this month to show our respect for those that volunteer to wear the uniform. We are going to have a Deliberative Session to debate the warrant article to place the vietnam honor roll panels in front of the town hall, where we voted to place them two years ago. The panels are completed, the money is available, raised privately to place them in the ground. They are being held up only do to the efforts of a few ego-maniacal selfish people who do not want them placed in front of the town hall, and are willing to do whatever is necesary to force others to cede to their will. This is wrong. The majority voted to place them in front of the town hall, and now the majority is being forced to vote again.

Our selectmen will not do the right thing, therefore it is up to us to DIRECT them to do it, to honor our fallen heroes, and to give thanks to those who volunteer to do that which we can not.