With the approach of July, we encounter the height of summer, BBQ season, and a national holiday. While many simply dismiss the fourth of July as an excuse to get messed up off of Corona and limes, eat endless hot dogs, and dage, the day holds much more significance than that. The Fourth of July is a day designated to the freedom of all U.S citizens. Although I’m sure most people won’t be recognizing the importance of the day as they’re slugging back drinks, I believe that it is of the utmost importance to address the fourth’s impact on all our lives especially with what is going on currently in the world. With the most recent fatal terrorist bombings in Turkey, Brussels, Paris, and oversees in the Middle East, we should be acknowledging how lucky we are live in a country which protects our basic human rights.

The U.S is founded on a constitution; a constitution which states and protects American’s most basic rights. The terrorist group ISIS, however, treats its citizens completely different. As we have seen in news reports and eye-witness accounts ISIS restricts the rights of their followers and those around them. As they wage war over their enemies they have restricted the roles of their women, regressing to a time where they had no power. They are restricting the right to religion, cramming their extreme nationalism and religion down their conquered’s throats and executing any who oppose. Besides their abolition of women’s and religious rights, ISIS even takes away their citizen’s god given right to love, torturing and executing in the most inhumane way homosexuals. Where there is ISIS, there is no freedom; there is only fear.

In the midst of all of this in the Middle East, ISIS terrorists have targeted free countries such as the ones stated previously, in an attempt to break them. Luckily, as we saw in the Paris bombing, the support of the world and freedom of the French citizens was unable to be compromised by the horrific events. Despite all the horror that has been taking place in the world, freedom has been prevailing over those enslaved to ISIS. Every day we take advantage of our freedom. We complain, we criticize government officials, and some even riot. But on the fourth we should put that all aside and reflect on situation.

We could be enslaved, we could have no religious rights, and women could be trapped with no voice and no rights, just as those in certain areas of the world are today! We do not recognize just how lucky we are to have men and women who work hard every night and day fighting for our freedom in combat, just as they have been for over 200 years since the first Fourth of July took place. At a time where there are people dying for their freedom, let’s appreciate and be grateful for our own.