There was hardly a dry eye in the crowd, when we recited the Pledge of Alligance, and heard an amazing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner sung by Jennifer Isly.  From there, a barrage of passionate speeches was met with enthuastic cheers from the crowd.  Both were a diverse mix of Americans from all walks of life, from all over Summit County, who all value and desire the same thing: Liberty!

As a member of the Akron Tea Party Crew, I took it all in, both from the stage, and from within the throng.  I watched grandparents, “high-fiving” teenagers as they acknowledged each other’s signs.  I saw children getting faces painted and dancing carefree in a fountain as their parents joined in a prayer lead by the leather adorned leader of Bikers for Christ.  I looked on as Dan Page’s trumpet moved everyone with his rendition of America the Beautiful.  I stood on stage reciting the Declaration of Independence and felt my heart leap from my chest as a wall of thousands of people shouted back at me in unison “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”.

And so it was on that day when God smiled down on Cuyahoga Falls, and allowed a great people from this community to join as one voice in support of Him and the county He blessed the world with.  A fire was lit that day that burns in me, as it does in thousands of hearts even as I type this.  Keep that fire in you, channel it, do something with it!  Let the joy, passion, hope and glory of that day be the template for the America we all want to live in.  August 19^th was just the beginning, work with me now to make every day full of such hope for us and our posterity!