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JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
or 952.926.0896
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[Back to Paul's Platform main selection page]
December 1999
“Independence
Day in December”
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You’ve all heard the phrase “Christmas in July,” referring to an unseasonal event of gift-giving or holiday-like behavior. Well, now that we’re in the actual winter holiday season, I thought I’d do the inverse. Both July and December contain complementary holidays which focus on very private and passionate topics: religion and politics. While countless public officials make it increasingly difficult to express any religion in any form, we must remember that tens of thousands of American soliders have died to ensure just that. The United States exists for freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. This is just one of the many reasons why we need to honor the heritage of our founding fathers, and why we need to be thankful for the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution as we enter the new millennium.
Toward that end, one our own JUGHEADS “signature” routines is “Stars and Stripes Forever.” I was privileged recently to come across the lyrics by composer John Philip Sousa. Let the goosebumps spread and the lump in your throat form as you read the chorus:
Hooray
for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever!
The gem of the land and the sea,
ever hoist it proud and high.
All nations remember the day
when our fathers with mighty endeavor
proclaimed as they marched to the fray
that by their might and by their right,
it waves forever.
This month, Wendy and I enjoy celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus two millennia ago. Friends of ours will celebrate Hanukkah, and others will simply enjoy an extended break from work and school. Regardless of your family’s priorities and faith, please remember that it is our freedom as Americans which ensures against tyranny. Rather than feel threatened by the expression of God-given freedoms, be glad that our country was founded for that very purpose.