Worth the Cost

How much would you sacrifice for a cause?

The reason why I ask on this July 4th holiday is because our forefathers sacrificed a lot.

Most were pretty well off.

More than half owned a lot of land.

Four of them would be considered multi-millionaires today.

British rule wasn't exactly hurting them or their finances.

Yet they risked complete poverty, treason and likely death, by signing the Declaration of Independence (search).

Keep in mind the prospect of self-rule was a joke. And by signing that document, "they" were jokes and "they" were targets.

No matter. John Hancock reportedly signed his name so large, he said, so that King George would have no trouble reading it.

Men of honor will sacrifice much for honor. They will sacrifice for doing the right thing, even when it means giving up lots of things.

Two hundred twenty eight years ago this week they put their riches on the line. And today we are all the richer because they did.

Generations have since done the same thing. Believing then, as we believe now what Ben Franklin said of freedom:

Always worth the cost. Always worth the fight.

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