A Moment with Mike for July 2nd, 2008

As I travel around the District this time of year, enjoying the barbeques, parades, picnics, fireworks and patriotic displays, I wonder how many actually stop and consider the price of Liberty and honor those who, as John Adams put it, "…have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasures, and their blood."
This week is a fitting time to honor those farmers, mechanics, and townspeople who, on April 19, 1775 stood toe to toe with the greatest military power of their day on the Lexington Green and the Old North Bridge at Concord where in the early morning hours the opening volley of American Independence was fired. The shot heard round the world, the first shot in our fight for independence from King George's slavery, was fired to protect and defend the natural right of men to protect themselves, to keep and bear arms for the purpose of preserving liberty. This right to keep and bear arms was codified on the 15th of December 1791 when it became the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Ironically, this right was solidified again last week by a very important Supreme Court decision to uphold our second amendment rights.
It is unknown who fired the first shot and I’m not sure that it really matters. What matters is that freemen had the courage to stand for Liberty knowing full well the probable scene that would unfold when the smoke cleared and several would lay dead and wounded. It was Captain John Parker who instructed his Minutemen, "Stand your ground; don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." These words have inspired many in the past two hundred years and brings to mind the courage, bravery and patriotism that so many have shown.
Our bold American spirit continues today and the resolve of our people is continually illustrated, whether defending our country or working together to help our neighbors as we have seen this year as we endured snow, ice, flooding and tornadoes in Northwest Missouri.
As we celebrate our independence and enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that we have, we should stop and say a prayer for our defenders and soldiers in uniform around the globe standing in harm’s way and for their families – never forgetting the families of those fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen, who have died in defense of Liberty. They do this so that we may echo daily the words of Samuel Adams as he spoke to John Hancock on the morning of April 19, 1775, "What a glorious morning this is!"
If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 406A State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.