Was it worth the tears?

"Life without liberty is like a body without spirit"

- Khalil Gibran 

About 25,000  Americans gave their lives to death and disease defending our liberty in the revolutionary war.

We lost around 600,000 soldiers during the American Civil War, confronting our shame of depriving liberty from so many.

Our nation has fought more wars that any other and has given the lives of many of our best. Some 400, 000 in WWII, at least 7,000 in the current war on terror, and many more in many other conflicts and wars.

 As they lay sick and hurt, bleeding and dying, did they wonder, "Was worth the pain?"

As their mothers and wives and brothers and sisters and children mourned their loss, did they wonder "Was it worth the tears?" 

What is the liberty and independence that we celebrate on this day? What is the price we are prepared to pay for it today? And what about the price that those that have gone before us have paid?

Was it worth the tears?