Voices of Freedom on this 4th of July! A Look Back 71 Years Ago!

Voices of Freedom according to our 32^nd President, Still Sounds Pretty Good 71 Years Later!

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States (1933-1945). His 1941 State of the Union address has been immortalized as the “Four Freedoms” speech.

Credit: Courtesy of American Memory at the Library of Congress.

Sometimes we fail to hear or heed these voices of freedom because to us the privilege of our freedom is such an old, old story.

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression — everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way — everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want — which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants — everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear — which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor– anywhere in the world.

On behalf of a grateful nation, we thank all of you who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our Great Nation, Under God with Liberty and Justice for All!