Happy July 4th Holiday

With all the bad news the media and current events bring such as Obamacare, Congress fighting, Europe collapsing, wildfires in Colorado and floods in Florida, we need to remember we still live in the greatest country in the world.  The fourth of July is a time to celebrate our individual freedoms that have been gained our centuries of bad news that has somehow or other allowed us to live better than citizens of any other nation.

This past week, my hometown of Omaha, Ne celebrated two major events in town.  First was the annual College World Series came to town weeding eight College Baseball teams down to just one Champion.  Congratulations to the University of Arizona for a superb series. 

The people coming to Omaha from all over the country were spending lots of money on food and lodging, travel costs, and all forms of entertainment.  Fathers brought sons. School boosters and parents came to support their team.  Even folks that didn’t have a team in the series this year, enjoying the Omaha hospitality in year’s past, came back for the fun of the event. 

In other words it’s an entertaining event that draws people from all over the country.  They traveled here safely.  They cheered for their teams without any trouble.  They stayed as long as they wanted and left when they wanted.  And they did this all without any concerns for their safety.

Across the parking lot at the Century Link Center, some of the world’s greatest athletes are competing for the rights to represent our country on a world stage.  The US Olympic Swim Trials are a weeklong event that narrows down the very top swimmers into the one or two that will compete at the London Olympics for our country.

These swimmers are some of the fittest athletes.  The wear the most high tech of all swim suits to improve their speed.  This sport and the athletes who participate, like any sport or endeavor in our country, is totally voluntary as to the amount of time, effort, and money one wants to spend to chase the dream. 

The US is the greatest country in the world because we allow people to do what they want, when they want.  That’s what freedom is all about.

So we will celebrate these freedoms with fireworks this week.  My friend Vince and his family own the fireworks stands all over this area.  You think your business is tough, try having a firework stand that can only be open for three days in some towns and 10 days in others.  That’s for the entire year!!!!  He says it will be a tough year because the fourth is on a Wednesday.  My furniture is not sounding so bad after thinking about fireworks.

On the fourth of July there will be a ballgame in town with fireworks afterwards.  This week let’s thank our forefathers and those who protect our liberty that the only fireworks will be ones we shoot and not ones being shot at us like Afghanistan or other war torn nations. 

Happy Fourth of July