As a veteran of two wars, may I remind your readers that another of our revered holidays is not just a three-day weekend.

On July 4, 1776, representatives assembled and declared the 13 colonies to be “the United States of America.” This important declaration of freedom from the British empire was signed by members and the president of the Continental Congress, John Hancock.

Since that historic day, America has altruistically but not too successfully tried to free other people who still, to this day, suffer oppression. We do this at the cost of many of America’s best and brightest and trillions of dollars spent on nations that don’t want our help – or later, after their civil upheaval, turn on us and rant and call us invaders (which is sometimes true).

For all our good will and trying to spread democracy, perhaps we as Americans should turn our sights inward and concentrate on solving our own problems: i.e., poverty, unemployment and our infrastructure crumbling before our eyes.

Bear in mind how many of our latest wars have involved said countries asking for our help and, in some cases, warmongers lying to America about dangers.

America survived its own Civil War, so isn’t it time we let these other countries fight their own battles and not shed our treasures? (I’m a descendant of Nathan Hale, and my wife, Dar, is an Aaron Burr descendant.)

Frank Slason

Somerville

Copy the Story Link