“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Independence Day is all about making your own choices. As a country we have decided that we want to have a say on how to govern ourselves. As individuals we have decided that we want a liberty that sets us free but also enables us to mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. I have made it my habit to actually read the Declaration of Independence to commemorate July 4th. And every year this old document manages to shed some light on a thing or two that I am witnessing right here right now. This year it made me look at the choices we make. Deuteronomy calls that blessing and curse.
Picture this: My family and I we are very outdoorsy, having enjoyed the awe-inspiring Rocky Mountains for the past six years. Now we are down here at the Gulf Coast and loving it. One big thing for us this summer is going to the beach. That’s where it gets messy – literally. A huge number of people just don’t seem to be able to manage living in freedom. They just dump there garbage all over the beach, the parking lot, you name it. Honoring God’s advise to make good choices and managing our liberties in a healthy way to me means: Don’t mess with Texas! There is no freedom to litter just as it is not free speech to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater.
If you want to live by the Declaration of Independence and pledge your sacred Honor to your neighbors here are a couple of suggestions for you: When you go to the park, to the beach or a Fourth of July Parade…
… Put your trash in the trash can!
… Pick up extra trash to leave the place in better condition than you found it!
… Report a Litterer: When you see litter thrown out of a vehicle take down license plate number, make and color of vehicle, date and time, location, who tossed the litter, and what was tossed. Then fill in this form.
TxDOT will send the litterer a Don’t mess with Texas litterbag along with a letter reminding them to keep their trash off of our roads.
Some people just need official reminders to manage their freedom more responsibly.
Happy Fourth Y’All!
Just as I was finishing up this article I came across the following picture of Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson working on the Declaration. Look at the floor!
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