(A rerun from last year. It's worth it, I think.)
So, an Army veteran sees a bald eagle tangled in a rope and hanging upside down from a tree. He calls the various authorities to see if they will use their very expensive, tax-funded equipment to save the bird's life. Naturally, as this would have meant some modicum of intelligence, civic devotion, and moxie, the tax-funded authorities said "No".
Thus, left to his own devices and ready to trust his own judgment and ability, he did the only thing that he could. He shot away the branches and the rope with his rifle, freeing the eagle and getting it to a veterinary clinic.
Sharp-Shooting Army Veteran Saves Bald Eagle Stuck Up A Tree
So, the 4th of July lessons involved are:
1. Good intentions do not move public employees to action.
2. Taxed revenue is largely wasted.
3. Own a rifle and know how to use it well.
4. There is no time in the great history of our republic that bureaucrats have not stood in the way of common sense and compassionate aid.
5. Direct action is always the best.
Or, as the eagle's savior said, "Fourth of July, you know, that’s our bird. I can’t let it sit there.”