Community Newspapers www.communitynewspapers.com
JULY 2012
WEST PARK NEWS
Happy Birthday America!
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––––––––––––––See BIRTHDAY page 3
CITY
Today, Independence Day is a federal holiday. Government offices and schools are closed. Some businesses may be closed as well. In some years, many employees use a proportion of their vacation days to create a long weekend. There are many public events, parades, shows, and fireworks displays. This may cause local disruption to traffic. Public transit systems do not usually operate on their regular timetables. Many people display the American flag outside their homes or buildings. Many communities arrange fireworks which are often accompanied by patriotic music. The most impressive fireworks are shown on television. Independence Day is a patriotic holiday for celebrating the positive aspects of the United States. Many politicians appear at public events to show their support for the history, heritage, and people of their country. Above all, people in the United States express and give thanks for the freedom and liberties fought for by the first generation of many of today’s Americans. The next time you see old Glory waving in the breeze, take a good long look.
PARK
believed the same way. Those brave men who signed the Declaration of Independence had far more to lose than they ever stood to gain. Most of them were wealthy and influential, but they willingly put all that on the line for this nation because they knew there was something far more important that the materialistic. They knew that true freedom and the ideas freedom was based on were far more important to this nation. These men paid the price for our freedoms because almost all of them lost everything they had for their principles. I cannot help but wonder just how many of us today are that committed to the principles we claim in our lives. By signing the Declaration of Independence, they were committing an act of treason against the British Empire. The penalty for such was death, yet they signed anyway. John Hancock signed twice as large as anyone else, and he explained it by saying, “Now His majesty can read my name without his spectacles.” Stephen Hopkins was a very old man, and he signed with a shaky signature. He said his hand trembled, but his heart did not. These men paid the price for what we enjoy today. They lost everything they had and died penniless.
WEST
The month of July is a time of picnics and family gatherings. It is a time when many are taking vacations, and in essence, enjoying the freedom of our country. It is also a time to appreciate that America has greatness in her beauty. From the tree covered hills in Maine, to the clear streams running through meadows in Kentucky, to the vast desert vistas in Arizona, on to the stunningly beautiful coast of California, America simply has it all. There is no other place on earth that has such a diversity of beauty within its borders, which is not what makes America great. America has greatness in the abundance she offers. I have been to many other countries, as some of you have, and I have seen firsthand that even the poor in America have more than most people in other countries. We offer the ability to have a fine home, several cars, toys of every kind and nature, and we offer everything on the installment plan so you do not have to save any money to have any item, but that is not what makes America great. America has greatness in her freedoms and liberties. It used to be that everyone respected the rights of others, even if they disagreed with our thoughts. Today however, society has very little tolerance for anyone else, and even less ability to be civil with others who disagree. Common sense just is not that common in America any more. Today, the in-thing to do is show you are an “UN” person. In other words, the trendy thing is to be unpatriotic; unforgiving, and even unAmerican at times, and we do all this, believing it is our right to do so, and we are justified. The “UN” thing is rapidly destroying the very fabric of our wonderful nation. There are people in America today that are undermining the integrity of our country because they are not motivated by principle but rather by selfishness. They want notoriety, fortune, or power, and they do not care how they get it. They try to revise history to say that our forefathers
In City Government
OFFICIALS
BY MAYOR ERIC H. JONES JR.
WHO’S WHO
Mayor Eric H. Jones, Jr.
Vice Mayor Felicia M. Brunson
Commissioner Thomas Dorsett
Commissioner Sharon Fyffe
Commissioner Rita “Peaches” Mack
City Manager W. Ajibola Balogun