HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

More than bottle rockets and barbecues, Independence Day celebrates the freedoms and pride of citizens of the United States of America.

The nation celebrates its 217th birthday today.

"The Fourth of July means one thing to everyone and everyone celebrates what they have done to make America great," said Tom Reddick, a Navy veteran of World War II, who lives at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau.

"It makes me think what a good country this is. We have survived over 200 years," he said. "On Independence Day everyone has some sort of celebration. It seems like the whole country sticks together all different ethnic groups, all different people."

On July 2, 1776 the Continental Congress declared the American colonies free and independent states. But it took the delegates two days to agree on a formal document announcing their action, according to The World Book encyclopedia.

On July 4, the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Since then, July 4 has been celebrated as the nation's birthday.

The founders of the new nation considered Independence Day an important occasion for rejoicing. John Adams said, "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore."

Independence Day was first observed in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. The Declaration was read, bells were rung, bands played, and the people rejoiced. Independence Day has been celebrated throughout the country since then. In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a federal legal holiday.

"We should be celebrating the freedoms of our country. We have the freedom to worship, the freedom to live our lives," said Navy veteran Theb Watson, also a Veterans Home resident.

He added that in America people have the freedom to complain about things they don't like and the freedom to do things to make it better.

"Without Independence Day, we couldn't do any of those things," added Pete Jarrell, veteran of the Marine Corps.

Homer Watson, Army veteran, said America's freedoms should be celebrated but also guarded.

"We have to be careful with our freedoms," he said. "We have a lot of freedoms, but it seems that some are being taken away. If we are not careful, we could lose some of our freedoms."

Retired Army Lt. Col. Jack Grisham believes so strongly that patriotism should be fostered, he helped organize the Patriotic Club at Cape Girardeau Central High School.

Grisham, now retired from teaching also, is still active with the school district.

"The club started years ago when Mr. (Ray) Pensel was still principal," Grisham recalled. "He asked me to chair a committee of teachers to help develop some patriotic spirit in the school. This was back in the days when patriotism wasn't so popular."

Grisham said students learned of the committee and demanded to be a part.

Students painted murals in the history teacher's room. And the Patriotic Club was born.

"We wanted to instill patriotism, loving one another and caring about country and supporting one another in the kids," Grisham said.

Grisham said, "This club has never spent any money on the club. Everything raised is donated. The first money we raised, $500, went to renovation of the Statue of Liberty."

Young people have responded to calls for patriotism, Grisham said. But he said sometimes people need to be reminded about the things that make the nation great.

"Especially when nothing is going on internationally," Grisham said. "People get self-centered and forget about the people in the service and being patriotic.

"I think people tend to forget why we have the Fourth of July," Grisham said. "I get to be with my family and have a picnic, which is wonderful. But the whole idea is our independence. This is a celebration of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War that followed, leading to our complete independence.

"To me, the Fourth of July means all the wonderful things about America we celebrate, especially our freedoms.

"The Fourth of July is America."