4th of July Wishes

This nation has an opportunity, at this very moment, to realize and strengthen her very foundations on which she was founded; to realize the ideals and hopes in which our founders believed; to actually bring life to the words of one of this nation's greatest statesmen and presidents, Abraham Lincoln ' ... government of the people, by the people and for the people.'.

This is the opportunity and the gift which we all can give to this nation and her people on her 232nd birthday. It is to have this nation and especially her government become responsible and answerable to her people - not to just the few. Has this not been the trademark of nation's declines throughout history! Our government's validity comes from the people on whose behalf it governs.

It is the duty and responsibility of each and every citizen to know, to question, to debate and, if necessary, to protest. Are these not the very freedoms on which this nation was founded? Are these not the very freedoms which we encourage others to adopt? Yet are these not the very freedoms which some of those who represent us in government have tried to chill or, in some cases ,deprive us.

We deeply feel that this Great Nation of ours is at the crossroads. Will this nation continue to evolve and become by example the shining Beacon of Freedom or will the slow gradual erosion of our freedoms - the very foundation of this great nation - eroded by fears - reduce and destroy the promises and expectations of our founding fathers.

We as a people should not and can not stand by and allow our government to victimize this nation and her people ever again...as they - the few - victimized our people by deception and ignorance; as they victimized our son and so many more by failing to be prepared and failing to be the best that they could be; and they victimized us and so many more of our loved ones by allowing our veterans to suffer horribly within their families and then abandoning many.

Let us realize the true greatness of this nation; Let us realize the promises and dreams of our founding fathers; Let us all make this nation once again united and proud; Let us commit this nation to giving the best of care to our troops and veterans - let there be no more Jeffreys.

Kevin & Joyce Lucey, the proud parents of Cpl. Jeffrey Michael Lucey,

a 23 year old USMC reservist forever

succumbed to the hidden wounds of PTSD

03/18/81 ----- 06/22/04

Here's to Ken & Jeffrey and all of our Gold Star sons!