Happy Independence Day 2020

"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." — Harry S. Truman

 

The United States of America was founded on ideals of freedom, justice, and liberty, and each 4th of July the nation takes a moment to reflect on those ideals and celebrate the country’s independence.

 

"Whoever walked behind anyone to freedom? If we can't go hand in hand, I don't want to go." — Hazel Scott

 

Of course, it’s important to recognize that the ideals people look at as profoundly and inherently American have never been equally bestowed to all citizens or people of this country. It’s also important to remember the people who have sacrificed to make the United States a safer, more just, more free land — and it is just as important to reflect on the ways that different groups of people are granted different freedoms and liberties in this country. One of the most patriotic acts you can do this 4th of July is to look inward, reflect on your own privileges and biases, and make active choices to ensure the America that exists in reality is one that exemplifies the values and moral fortitude that these ideals portray.

 

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” —Barack Obama

 

As you celebrate Independence Day, and may we constantly strive to make America the best country it can be.  Happy Fourth of July and thank you to those who built this country and continue to make it wonderful. May we always work to live by the ideals that set America apart and ensure that those ideals of freedom, justice, and liberty for all are truly granted to all those who call America home. Happy birthday, America! May you grow ever better with age.

 

“The time is always right to do what is right.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.