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It was a great July 4th. The sun was shining. Kirby Park was alive with activity. I watched teenage couples holding hands while walking the midway. I watched as boyfriends tried to win stuffed animals for their girlfriends and visa versa. I watched as the community gathered, young and old, black and brown, yellow and white to celebrate the birth of our liberty and freedom.
While all of this celebration was taking place, I couldn’t help wondering if I, my wife, my children and grandchildren would make it home safely. It is strange when celebrations involving large gatherings generate a quiet anxiety about family safety. It used to be that a mother might worry if she applied enough sun screen to the baby. Those worries now seem mundane in light of seven dead in Highland Park.
While I watched young couples walking hand in hand, I couldn’t help but scan the crowd for those carrying (legally) a side arm. To my relief I found none. I want to thank my Second Amendment friends for exercising the liberty and freedom of leaving their guns at home. It is truly a strong community and nation that can gather peacefully without the need of weapons.
The freedom from fear is something worth celebrating.
Alec Frank
Wilkes-Barre