SAINTS PERSPECTIVE, SCCC President Brad Bennett
July 4 is upon us, and it’s a great time to encourage students of all ages to dust off those thinking caps and learn one of the most important things they’ll need as they move through life: patriotism.
For people of my generation and older, patriotism was a standard part of every school day. It was normal to frequently recite the Pledge of Allegiance, everyone standing to participate. Lessons in February often included stories about former presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, because President’s Day was observed with sincerity.
These days, popular culture feels, sounds, and looks very different. However, I’m pleased that Independence Day on campus at Seward County Community College is as traditional as it gets. We continue hosting our summer guests, the Liberal Bee Jays semi-pro baseball team, who will face their Dodge City rivals on Thursday. The July 4 matchup is a local tradition, and once the final inning wraps up, fans can enjoy a fireworks display.
Celebrating our country should not be an obligation but something we all naturally feel inspired to do. But that feeling does not happen in a vacuum. It is taught to us as children, and something we in turn can teach our own sons and daughters.
My girls know this all too well. Since they were old enough to converse, we talk about their great-grandfather’s time serving in the United States military during World War I. We talk about my interest in U.S. history, which resulted in my spending D-Day in Normandy, France, in 2007.
On the site where American soldiers stormed the beach to shift the balance in occupied France to the side of freedom, I felt history as close as I felt the air around me. I saw tons of military vehicles left on site, where thousands of historical re-enactors dressed in uniform as a way to honor the American troops who came to France to help defeat Hitler’s army.
On thing that really stood out to me was how beautiful the military cemeteries were, all managed by three American battle monuments commissions. There in Normandy, where all the crosses and Star of David emblems faced west toward home, the view was breathtaking.
Seeing the French honor American soldiers was also interesting because different than in most wars, the U.S. came to liberate, not to conquer. There’s a reason why the servicemen from WWII are part of what we call the Greatest Generation.
You can tell from my memories of this trip that military history is near and dear to my heart. When my daughters performed in a U.S. history pageant last spring, our family made new memories connecting to the practice of patriotism.
This July 4, people across the United States are already bracing for the upcoming Presidential election in the fall, and feeling concern about the issues that always concern us: the cost of groceries, the many wars and military conflicts taking place around the world, the disagreements and political arguments here at home.
But also this week, we have an opportunity to celebrate the best, most exhilarating things about our country. We have time to think about all those who have gone before us, who cared about our personal and social freedoms. We can remember those who sacrificed their lives to ensure our way of life may continue. And we can talk about it all while we see our children’s faces shine in the reflection of fireworks displays.
SCCC will be participating in the local Stars and Stripes parade. We welcome the community to campus to cheer for the great American game of baseball and enjoy the festivities. And we hope you make the most and best of our national birthday.
Let freedom ring!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR — Brad Bennett is the president of Seward County Community College, where he enjoys serving students and the community. You can email him at
