ated with barbeques and
must have been like for those
uncertainty of war and the faith in those
with
others, the rocket's red
glare is a memory of
war, not pageantry. Our
communities are
ers of freedom, veterans
who valiantly fought to
defend the freedoms we
enjoy everyday. These
veterans, who are our
mothers, fathers, sisters,
and brothers, often have
a different experience on
July 4th, one that carries
the weight and depth of
battle worn memories,
an experience that never
fully leaves the mind.
return from deployments
every day. They survive
one battle, but the war
wages on in many of their
minds. It is a new kind of
battle, a new normal. For
some, this new normal
is only slightly different
from their life before, but for others, it is a
often engulf reality, but warriors are resilient. They will not be defeated. It is faith �
faith in each other, faith in God that often makes the difference between thriving
and surviving. When adjusting to a new normal many warriors
greater that brings strength to many of our nation's wounded warriors, a belief
that someone was looking out for them, and a belief that something is still help-
ing them today.
gauntlet, even after all the
baseball games,
team victories. At theme parks around
the country, summer evening skies ex-
plode with colorful
see roadside stands selling the latest
and greatest in pyrotechnics.
fi reworks from a different vantage point this
month. How do the images (and sounds)
of
battle
be, bring feelings and thoughts that aren't
so celebratory and fun. I suspect there are
a few things worthy of our consideration
to be found there.
Robinson had on and off the baseball
fi eld in our review of the recent fi lm,
"42." For some, racism might feel like
a distant issue, but perhaps the reality
of racial equality isn't as settled as we
think. Depending on your own personal
history, you will have different experi-
ences with the era depicted in the
fi lm; however, it is as important as ever to
address this and similar issues in our day so
that men and women, boys and girls never
have to endure injustices at any level.
month of July. My hope is that our
freedom isn't taken for granted and
we rise up to help our friends and
neighbors experience and celebrate
it with us.