By Sherry Bunting, excerpt Milk Market Moos, Farmshine, May 26, 2017

Amid the troubles in the world, and the divisive politics we see, there are bright spots if we look for them and illuminate them.

This weekend as we prepare to observe Memorial Day, let’s choose to focus on what is good and right with America because brave men and women fought and died to protect this, so that we may be free.

Free to discuss and debate our individual rights and collective responsibilities.

Free to lend our perspectives to discussions and decision-making from our experiences as citizens.

Free to vote for change when the pendulum swings too far.

Free to secure the rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

With these rights come responsibilities and with these liberties come the realization that freedom is something that can be incrementally lost if we don’t consciously keep it in the forefront. If we don’t continually look for it, seek it out, hold it up and illuminate it.

In the words of President Ronald Reagan: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children through the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

And in the words of President John F. Kennedy: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship,
support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty.”

This Memorial Day, as always, we prayerfully and respectfully remember, admire and acknowledge with gratitude the supreme sacrifice of the heroes who have fought and died that freedom and liberty may live and that we as Americans may have the right — even the responsibility — to protect it and pass it on to future
generations.