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© 2007 Melody Schmidt It's that time of the year again; the 4th of July. You know what that means…barbecues, fairs and fireworks. The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, is a fun summer holiday to spend with family and friends. It's also a time to celebrate the history of America. But how many teenagers today know what Independence Day really is all about? Here is a little history lesson. On July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from England in the Declaration of Independence and democracy was born. The actual signing of the Declaration of Independence was completed in August 1776. The Fourth of July was not declared a legal holiday until 1941. Some American teens think that we celebrate the end of the school year on Independence Day. A fourth-grade level survey of 1,020 teenagers, conducted by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, showed that 150 teenagers didn't know the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Almost 200 teens didn't know that there were 13 original colonies. "When you look at these numbers, it means that more than 5 million U.S. teenagers don't understand the true meaning of Independence Day," said Colin Campbell, president of the foundation that runs Colonial Williamsburg. Thankfully, almost all of the teenagers knew where our capital is and who our current president is. You can't blame the youth too much, though. Even at an Independence Day fair I attended last year, the pie-eating contest was announced several times on the main stage ( to make sure we didn't miss it), whereas the Declaration exhibit was "hidden" in a small area that didn't attract many people. This made me laugh, considering that without the D of I, we wouldn't be there in the first place! America! For more than two hundred years this word has represented hope, opportunity and freedom. Recently, I went to the beach and asked some teenagers what being an American means to them. Here's what they said: "Being an American means having more freedom than most countries." "We can do whatever we want." "In our country you can be born poor, but you can still become the next Bill Gates if you work hard enough." "There are so many opportunities here. A person of any gender, race and ethnicity can go to college and get a job." "Sleeping in a bed every night and eating good food." "To be an American is something to be very proud of." "We have the freedom of speech." But, to sum it all up: "It's the reason I am who I am today." So this summer, let's all look past the spare ribs, corn on the cob, pie-eating contests, parades and fireworks, and take a moment to reflect on our history and remember the forefathers who risked so much to create this country. Let's celebrate our freedom that we should never- EVER- take for granted. We're so lucky to live in this great country. God bless the USA. To take the 10-question test that was used for the survey, visit my blog at www.MelodySchmidt.com. Melody Schmidt will be a freshman at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School this fall. Teenagers are encouraged to submit comments at her blog: www.MelodySchmidt.com. |