Fighting for Freedom

I'm flying home from Fort Worth Texas alone after spending one of the best Fourth of July's in my life with my best friends, their wives and my family and the song Emma by Emmanuel Jal comes on my iPod as I'm reflecting on the simplicities of my life provided by this country. While my mind races, the Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks appear outside of my double plastic paned airplane window and I realize that I could have been born anywhere, but fate, luck and God had other answers and because of that I would be born and raised during the hypothesized peak of The American Civilization and for that I am greatly thankful, but realize that there is an entire world beyond the borders of our country that need help. Do not get me wrong, there is plenty to be done right here in our own country and that is the place to start, but as President FD Roosevelt almost said,"...that great power involves great responsibility." I couldn't bring myself to let Grandpa Ben Parker have that one.


In a world where Emmanuel Jal and Ishmael Beah's exist there are many ways to contribute to spread hope to a planet in need of Liberty and Freedom. It could be as simple as purchasing a pair of Tom's Shoes so that one more African Child has a pair of shoes for his journey to school everyday, because in other countries education is seen as an avenue to a better life and is not taken for granted. It is also possible to lend a hand to organizations such as Invisible Children. Together We Are Free found in the DVD section of their website is currently a favorite documentary of mine and it is only a glimpse of the Rock Star Movement Invisible Children is creating to help provide for a people in need of Freedom. These examples are all from one continent alone, Africa.


As an American it is not always possible to drop everything to save the world and without a doubt I am one of these people, but because of the Freedom given us we have the right to enable people around us to take the steps our lifestyle's will not allow and that is what I like about Nile Rodgers' spin off of the We Are Family (yea, that song) Foundation's Three Dot Dash. They have created a workshop that enables children from around the world to move forward with projects of their own that create change within their communities so that one day our Earth will find Peace and Freedom.


I don't think that this is the most brilliant song musically or lyrically, but the message of needing help and taking it when it is provided has rarely been communicated so passionately. I think the message is pretty simple my friend. Help when help is needed.