Hello everyone! I would like to
make a short introduction of myself to our Divine Diva readers. My name
is April (more commonly known online as 'Diva April' or 'The Poet
Princess'). I am a 32 year old widowed mom of three beautiful children.
I
am a freelance writer, work part-time as a tutor and proofreader, and
volunteer time for causes close to my heart. I
reside on the beautiful coast of North Carolina in the United States,
where I continue to find inspiration all around me. You can find out
more about me at my website: http://www.geocities.com/the_poet_princess/index.html.
I am very happy to be the new author for the "Mother Earth" column here
at the Divine Diva Newsletter!
This July
4th Americans will celebrate the 228th birthday of the
United States of America. Independence Day is a national holiday,
commemorating
the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental
Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When the
Declaration of Independence was signed, the U.S. consisted of thirteen
colonies, who were under the rule of England's King George III. There
was growing dissatisfaction within the colonies over "taxation without
representation" and they were eager to get out
from under the rule of England. After a difficult two year period of
war and several attempts to get the British to
accept the colonies' independence, a committee was formed to
compose a formal declaration. The committee included
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston, and Roger Sherman.
Thomas Jefferson, who headed the committee, was chosen to compose the
first draft which was presented to the congress and accepted on July
4th, 1776. John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed
his name to this document to make it official. The completed signing of
the document was not official until sometime in August but, July 4th
has always been the accepted date of its initiation. The first
Independence Day celebration took place on July 4th, 1777 and in the
early 1800's Independence Day celebrations began including
fireworks, parades, and picnics as part of the traditional celebration.
More recently, fireworks celebrations have been banned in
some cities across the nation due to their potential for danger but,
many cities still hold large fireworks displays for all to enjoy.
The U.S. is not the only country
that celebrates an Independence Day. Many countries across the world
have their own celebrations on their country's date of birth or
independence as a nation. These days are truly a reason for happiness
and much celebration by their inhabitants. However, we should also
celebrate our countries and our world by being more conscious of them
and not taking them for granted. Pollution across the world has
increased so much in recent years. Our air, soil, and water have
become contaminated. Littering in our public areas, parks, and bodies
of water has become extremely problematic. The effects of this can be
seen everywhere we look. Littering isn't only an eyesore, it is a real
danger. It negatively affects the animal and marine population, the
quality of the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the ground
we walk on and depend upon to grow fresh foods and graze livestock.
This year people will go out
into the world, to
public and private parks, picnic grounds, and other natural
environments to
celebrate. They will eat, drink, and make merry! While celebrating a
fact as important as independence is truly a wonderful thing, we need
to be ever mindful to do so in as responsible a manner as possible. If
your holiday plans include eating and drinking, then please make sure
to pick up any and all litter and debris after your celebration is
complete.
Although many states and/or cities have passed laws against the use of
fireworks in certain areas, we all know this is not always adhered to
and some places have no rules against their use. If your
celebration will include fireworks, I would remind you to make sure
that you follow a few practices to keep these as safe as possible:
1) First, although they
are pretty to look at, fireworks can be risky business. Every year,
thousands of fires are started and thousands of people, mostly
children, are injured by fireworks and "sparklers". The best way to
enjoy fireworks is to go to a public display in your community. If
you choose to be in a private place with fireworks please make sure to
keep
them out of the reach of children, pets, and wildlife. Allow
the use of sparklers only under direct adult supervision.
2) Make sure that all fireworks
and sparklers are completely extinguished, and take the debris
from them with you when your celebration is over. To do this more
easily you can use a container filled with water and place the used
sparkler or firework in it until it's time to go. Please use this
same method for cigarette smokers attending the celebration. For
bonfires, extinguish the flames completely, then pour sand over the
pit to cool it and prevent flames from returning.
Hopefully, by following these
tips, everyone will have a wonderful time amd the environment will
not suffer too many ill effects from our celebrating. Happy
Independence Day Divine Divas!
