By Mia Garza McCord, President. July 4, 2020
“Those who won our independence believed that the final end of the state was to make men free to develop their faculties; and that in its government the deliberative forces should prevail over the arbitrary. They valued liberty both as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty.” ~ Louis D. Brandeis
Happy Independence Day! Despite, and because of, the events of the last few months, I continue to stand tall and proud to be an American. 2020 has been a year of uncertainty, political impasse, and tremendous heartache. At the same time, we have witnessed American ingenuity on full display, tremendous success while on the verge of failure, and a resiliency fortified in the American dream.
Frederick Douglass once said, “if there is no struggle, there is no progress.” So, because of our current struggles, we should take time this Fourth of July to reflect on the goodness of our country and the history of and progress made by Americans. The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate. It’s a time to recognize the sacrifices each generation before us made for our freedom.
My hope is that as a country, as a state, we can move forward together, as Americans always do. I pray that in the second half of 2020, we learn the true meaning of loving our neighbors and respecting opinions that are different from our own. May this Independence Day reignite our ability to dream, to do good, to lift our fellow Americans up when they are down, and to never take a single day of our freedom for granted.
Happy Independence Day from TCCRI!