Message from Councilman Matt Adams | July 12, 2024
Last Thursday marked the 248th birthday of the United States.
As we close in on 250 years since our nation’s founding, the holiday weekend was cause for me to reflect on what it means to be an American and a local elected official in our great community in 2024.
In no other place on the planet are the possibilities as endless as they are in the U.S. From a young age, I was told that if you work hard, and do the right thing, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to because of the awesome power of the human liberty that each and every one of us possesses simply because we are American.
Sure, those idealistic sentiments have been tested more than once in my lifetime, let alone throughout the more than two centuries of our nation’s existence. Indeed, we are living through one of the most divisive periods in our nation's history right now, in my opinion. Nonetheless, I believe that we will be just fine.
The story of America, as I see it, is one of resilience. In the 1700s, around the time of our nation’s founding, we were underdog to the British Empire. Yet, we prevailed.
In the 1800s, Americans turned on each other in the Civil War, but I would argue that the result was a better, fairer, more inclusive nation that had finally eradicated the original sin of its founding.
By the 1900s, the country became industrialized, and began to exert its influence abroad to spread the message that liberty could bring about peace and prosperity. The Greatest Generation demonstrated for the world that they would lay down their lives before they allow tyranny and oppression to dominate the globe.
The mid-20th century brought social movements in our country, intent on finally creating greater racial and gender equality. The movement strengthened us yet again before a powerful new technological age was upon us.
At the dawn of the new millennium, additional impediments to progress were dismantled, as civil rights in our country were no longer dependent upon who you decided to love.
Now, some 25 years into the 21st century, our nation is again at a crossroads. There is what seems like a daily barrage of negativity and in-fighting in today's America. We no longer disagree with respect and dignity. As a society, we have retreated to tribalism and pettiness.
Yet, in spite of the tumult of the times, as I reflect on our nation's history and all of our country's triumphs in the face of adversity, I am as reassured as ever that this country remains great and always will be. America will never succumb to the forces that try to break her apart, foreign or domestic.
The simple fact is that our nation's history has demonstrated, time and again, that America bends but does not break. This is the land of opportunity, born of the greatest experiment in human liberty that the world has ever seen, and those opportunities start right here at the local level.
So, as I reflect on the meaning of Independence Day, despite all the chaotic noise of the day, I remain steadfast that American ideals are no match to the forces that want to see us fail.
As we move into the dog days of summer, cheering on America in the Olympics later this month, and into the Fall season where we will once again debate, freely and openly, the issues of our time, let’s remember that we are all Americans first. There is far more that unites us than divides us.
Because of the liberty that America provides, we are free to disagree with one another about anything we want. But, let’s all recommit to putting our liberty to a higher level of use.
Let’s not take the easy road that leads us down a path of division. Let’s live that sacred creed, enshrined in our founding documents, that we are first and foremost one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
If America’s relatively brief history has taught us anything, it is that when the going gets tough, you can bet on the U.S. We are far better united than divided.
