Happy Fourth of July!

This year we mark an incredible milestone: 250 years since we declared our independence from a king who taxed us to fund foreign wars, sustain his own luxury, and enrich himself on the backs of working people. Two hundred fifty years later, we face challenges that echo what the colonists stood up against. Today we celebrate two and a half centuries of the democratic experiment our founders began, and we reflect on the work still ahead.

Since our founding, we have worked to fix serious flaws in our nation: slavery, the right of all people to vote regardless of race or gender, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, freedom of and from religion, birthright citizenship, presidential term limits, and more. Despite this progress, some are fighting to undo it. Two hundred fifty years ago, they wore red coats. Today, they wear red hats. We have always faced opposition in the fight to make this country freer and more just for everyone, but we have always persevered. Today is no different.

We will keep pushing forward to fulfill the dream our founders set out. They were men of their time, and deeply flawed, but their vision was one of freedom for all: a nation where an immigrant could prosper alongside a natural born citizen, where We the People work together to form a more perfect union. That vision of unity threatens those who would divide us and pit Americans against one another. This Fourth of July, we reaffirm our commitment to independence, to freedom, and to each other.

As you celebrate with friends, family, and neighbors, no matter their race, national origin, identity, income, or politics, remember how far our nation has come, and consider the work still before us to restore the American Dream for everyone. This Fourth of July, I rededicate myself to my family, my neighbors, and my community. Our nation never would have defeated the red coats divided. Together, we will defeat the red hats this November and begin the long road to restoring the American Dream for all.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone. We rise together.

-Peter Offen, TCDP Chair