A yearly tradition is to attend the annual Fourth of July Celebration in Marlow, Oklahoma. This year was no different. Last year the extensive and miserable drought kept the fireworks display from happening. This Fourth of July the celebration did go on. In a small town, with a good fireworks display the community is packed with people driving in from surrounding communities. Why the town of Duncan doesn't devote some of their celebratory resources (they have a lot of small celebrations and events) to a fireworks display for a town of 20,000 I do not understand. But whatever the case, Marlow is a busy little town on July 4th.

The crowds arriving for the fireworks.

Lots of family fun and photographers out capturing memories of their loved ones at the community celebration.

10 pm, the fireworks were lit, the display began. The "oohs and aahhs" what a sight. I've always loved watching the fireworks.

First time I've ever photographed my kids watching the fireworks. My youngest suggested photographing the fireworks with the fisheye lens and he had a good idea. He's quite happy that his suggestion was taken.

they light up the sky with their abstract beauty.

Watching the celebration of a nation. The illusion of the liberty we all desire to say that we have.

In a nation of rules and regulations and homeland security watching citizens as if they are children, searching toddlers at airports, are we truly "free"

Fourth of July - if you've ever picked up a copy of the stamp act or sugar act or any of the tax laws that were passed on the colonies by Britain, you will understand why this revolution happened. Yet, we are in a nation where laws are passed without being read and our lives are highly regulated.

But despite the hopeless political climate - aren't fireworks amazing to see.

We are under a leader who constantly likes to point to a lack of "fairness" in our society. But where in the Constitution am I guaranteed the right to "fairness." No one has the right to life, liberty and fairness. Because what is "fair" to one, is slavery to another.

We live in a nation where needs versus wants can't be determined. Where Mayors want to regulate soft drinks because the responsibility for societal problems must be given to inanimate objects. Where political pundits can't admit to the fact that individuals should bear the responsibilities for their own actions. 
We live in a nation of freedom, where if you don't like what your neighbor says or does, you find the appropriate agency to report him to. Where you go to the media to complain.

We live in a country where the Senate can't pass a budget. Where individuals borrow too much and blame the banks for loaning the money. We live in a country that can't comprehend economics.

We punish the productive class. We punish the workers. We tax, we tax, we tax. The harder you work the more you are taxed. The productive members of society are taxed to frustration, to the point where getting ahead is nearly impossible.

Yet we also have a system set up to punish and watch the poor. We have human services telling poor parents they aren't good enough and take their children, giving middle class workers a job. We have a system that imprisons minorities at a high rate, we lock up non-violent offenders creating a punitive system to punish non-violent addicts.

Imagine a society where you could live without fear of government oversight, or government harassment or the IRS. Imagine a society where everyone paid taxes. Imagine a society where we weren't putting non-violent people in prison for what they put in their bodies if they were harming no one. Imagine a society where one in three jobs weren't regulated. Fear caused the massive growth of Government. Imagine a world were we weren't afraid to live. Imagine a world where the bloggers could write and not think that Big Brother wasn't watching a compiling their names on a list.

Imagine a world where we didn't have corporate tyranny, paired with governmental tyranny. Where the little guy thought he had a say in how his world worked. Where a handshake was as good as your name. Imagine a world where families were a support system and not the government.

What does liberty mean to you? No one is "free" it is an illusion, perpetuated and celebrated. It is idealism, not reality. Enjoy your fireworks and grilling, but don't forget big brother is watching you. More regulations will come, every-time we vote. Every-time someone says "There ought to be a law."

But the fireworks ended and we all went home. The horrible crowds are a great reason not to watch the show, but you'd miss out on a tradition if you stayed home.

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