These are two different things. The Revolutionary War gave us the first one. Independence from a King and from the British Empire. This meant we became distinct, and separate.
What has given us freedom, for each of us, has been this grand idea imprinted for the ages that, as long as we don’t trample over others, everyone should be free to pursue their hopes and dreams.
Let’s not ever loose that perspective.
Happy 4th of July!
EDIT: I wanted it to be a happy 4th of July for all, but it turned out very sad. Just a few hours after I posted this article, six people were dead and many more injured in Illinois, in yet another sad example of someone trampling over the rights of others. And if the loss of lives wouldn’t have been enough, many communities in Illinois decided to cancel their 4th of July festivities, preferring their citizens shelter in place. It would be really ironic if this is how we loose our freedoms.