July Fourth

In my world, there is a fairly common bumper sticker, in a variety of forms, but the lettering tends to be the same, “Everyone gave some, some gave all,” with a reciprocal refrain, call and response, “Freedom isn’t free.”

While everyone else was using the holiday as an excuse to consume too much beer, eat too many hot dogs, I was invited to a very special service.

Led by the Honorable Xavier Rodriguez, appointed by President Bush, in the classic (historic) Bexar County Courthouse, there was a swearing in ceremony. New American Citizens.

Legal. No debate about legality or otherwise.

Not my first, but a yank at the heart-strings kind of event. Folks, people, struggling to get into the country, and doing so, joyous at a chance of redemption.

Some days, we don’t understand how good we got it.

So over-consuming beer and all? Possibly illegal (certainly within the city limits) percussive explosive devices? Or watching something really patriotic happen?

Yeah, be a true patriot on July 4th. I was.