Celebrating America's Independence - Happy 4th of July

The United States of America was founded with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. With this document, we claimed our independence from Great Britain. Fifty-six men of simple means inscribed their names on a piece of paper. They were normal men of varying professions, united in a single desire: freedom. By signing that document, those men asserted their independence, and in doing so, gave birth to our country. It did not come easy. At the time, Great Britain was one of the most powerful nations in the world.

They were an empire whose reach spanned the globe. America, in contrast, was a handful of colonies nestled on the coast of a mostly unexplored continent. We were the definitive underdog. We were a nation of rugged individualists who, for the most part, just wanted to be left alone. Great Britain had an expertly trained military. The colonies had militias, made up of farmers and tradesmen and anyone else who owned a musket. Yet, despite all this, we won our independence.

We won more than just our freedom, though. America became a model for the rest of the world. We defeated a European empire to establish a republic based on democratic principles. The world would never be the same again. The century that followed saw huge changes in the old order, with monarchies being overthrown and replaced with governments that work under the consent of the governed. America showed them it could be done. And it all started with the Declaration of Independence.

We as Americans should never forget why we have our freedoms, and the great cost our forefathers paid. Today, there are those who are willing to give everything for their country. These brave service men and women remind us that the liberties we often take for granted are valuable and worth defending.

We are not a perfect nation, but the founding principal our country is based on is nothing short of divine: all men are created equal, born with inalienable rights. It's an ideal we're still trying to live up to today. But if there's any greatness to be had, it's in the struggle against our own worst impulses, through the decades and centuries, to live up to that simple, yet profound, maxim.

The Fourth of July is a chance for us as a nation, as a united people, to reflect on the freedoms we enjoy, and the costs others have paid to protect them. This Fourth of July, I hope you will join men in reflecting, remembering, and thanking those American soldiers who came before, and those who continue to defend the freedoms that make our country great.

Happy 236th Birthday, America. May it be just one of many, many more to come.

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As always, I appreciate hearing your comments, opinions, and concerns. Please feel free to contact me in Jefferson City at (573) 751-2459. You may write to me at Jason Crowell; Missouri Senate; State Capitol; Jefferson City, MO 65101, or e-mail me at: jcrowell@senate.mo.gov or visit me on the web at www.senate.mo.gov/crowell.