This July 4th, Remember What Unites Americans

248 years ago, 13 colonies declared their independence and embarked on a grand experiment that would result in the greatest nation the world has ever known.  Our Forefathers were led by patriots who chose to risk all they had to secure liberty for future generations. The ranks of the Continental Army were filled by ordinary men willing to make extraordinary sacrifices for this same liberty.  Farmers, bakers, blacksmiths, and more took up arms to fight against the greatest professional military force in the world at the time.

They disagreed on much. They had rambunctious and lively debates.  But they were unified in their belief in what they were willing to fight for: an America that was a land of opportunity and freedom, where people would be defined on their merits and character, not their lineage, and ruled by a government of the people that existed to protect our rights and freedoms, not confer them.

As we head into a divisive election, I hope that this year’s Independence Day is a hopeful reminder for all Americans of that same shared vision.  Americans have always had disagreements.  And I’m not bothered by any of that.  But we cannot allow our disagreements to overshadow what makes America unique and special.  If we remain committed to what it means to be an American, we will keep the spirit of 1776 alive – no matter what divisions, threats, or changes we face.

The American Dream is not something handed to us by the government; it is achieved through the hard work and ingenuity of everyday people.  This lesson has been passed down through the generations of every American, from immigrant families to those who have been here since the Revolution.

My own parents and grandparents have always been an excellent example to me: Grandma Grace and Grandpa Earl married each other at 6:30 in the morning because Grandpa didn’t want to be late for work.  My parents met over the phone when my father called to make a sales pitch to the company where my mother worked.  They didn’t see work as “exploitative,” something younger generations unfortunately hear on college campuses today.  They rightly saw our merit-based system as the greatest fount of opportunity the world has ever known.

In the United States, you can make a better life for yourself and your loved ones simply by working hard and living justly.  Where else could a man like Clarence Thomas, the descendant of slaves and born into abject poverty, become a truly great, respected Supreme Court Justice on his own merit?  Where else could Dwight Eisenhower, born to humble conditions and raised in a small town in Kansas, rise on his own merits to one day lead the Allied invasion of Normandy and later serve as America’s 34th President?  Our country is and always has been the land of opportunity, and I hope Americans recognize this incredible and unique blessing as we celebrate our nation.

While the American Dream is something we alone can create and realize, we can only do so in a nation that safeguards the God-given freedoms with which our Creator has blessed us.  Religious liberty is rightly regarded by many as our “first freedom,” and America was founded and populated by religious people seeking religious freedom.

Our Founders were men of faith who recognized its importance and encouraged faith in the public square.  Their conviction that fundamental rights inhere within every person was informed by their belief in God. In his farewell address, George Washington remarked that, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”  And in his Memorial and Remonstrance, James Madison asserted “that Religion … can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence.”  America was never meant to be a place where religion is absent from the public square or a nation where faith is treated as a secondary or private concern.  That’s why, as Secretary of State, I made religious freedom a cornerstone of our foreign policy.  America is a nation defined by religious faith, freedom, and values, and we should remember this on our Independence Day.

Finally, I want to say this: It has become common for people to say that America is no longer the greatest nation on earth or that it never was.  This is a lie  – a lie grounded in the desire to divide our country rather than unite it, with the aim of preserving the political power of the few.

This week we should celebrate our Independence Day by rejecting this lie and instead remember the incredible trials our nation has overcome.  America has prevailed through two world wars – fighting against the forces of evil.  It has withstood devastating terrorist attacks and emerged unshattered from a global pandemic.  Throughout our history, we have always remained united and indivisible, no matter our political disagreements.  This Independence Day is a hopeful reminder that so long as we are committed to the beautiful principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we will remain united – no matter what the next few months or years have in store.  May God bless you, your families, and our nation this 4th of July!

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