By Staff
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Any elementary student can recite those words — although adults may have forgotten them along the way — but the power of Thomas Jefferson’s statement from the Declaration of Independence sometimes gets lost amid the celebration of the July 4 holiday.
While a trip to the beach or a barbecue in the backyard has become a traditional way to spend July 4, we hope that everyone will take some time today to remember those words — and those men and women who have continued to secure those freedoms for us over more than two centuries.
One of those young men will be remembered today. Cpl. Christopher Winchester, killed four years ago this month in Iraq, will be honored with a memorial at the Little League baseball fields in East Brewton.
It’s a fitting place to remember such a hero, especially one who grew up in East Brewton. Christopher Winchester loved baseball, that most American of sports, and he loved his country so much that he gave his life for it. While we all know him as a hero, his loved ones will remember him, too, as a son, a brother, a friend — and as a little boy on the baseball field.
Because of his sacrifice, and the sacrifice of so many others over the years, all of our little boys and girls can play on baseball fields if they want to, or do just about anything else they choose.
So amid the games and fireworks today — and we hope you will join the East Brewton celebration — we also ask you to pause and remember all of our American heroes.