CAPITOL REPORT: REPRESENTATIVE PATRICIA PIKE
Recognizing the Importance of Independence Day
Dear Citizens: It was the late, great President Ronald Reagan who once wrote, “Let the Fourth of July always be a reminder that here in this land, for the first time, it was decided that man is born with certain God-given rights; that government is only a convenience created and managed by the people, with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people. We sometimes forget that great truth, and we never should.”
As Reagan so eloquently stated, the American Revolution didn’t simply exchange one set of ideas for another; it changed the very concept of government. With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers created a great experiment dedicated to preserving what George Washington called the “sacred fire of liberty.” And as Washington said, it was an “experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
Now, nearly 250 years later, our nation has not just endured, but it has become one of the most powerful forces in our world, a bastion of hope, and the model of democracy to all. The overwhelming success of the American experiment is a result of not only the designs of the founders, but also the unbreakable American spirt that has manifested in generations of men and women – individuals who agreed with the founding fathers that the people can govern themselves better than a handful of the wealthy elite.
So when we gather each Fourth of July to barbecue, shoot fireworks, and watch parades, we are remembering what it means to be an American. We admire the courage and the perseverance of those who stood before us, who built the foundations on which we now stand. We honor their sacrifice and their willingness to take on incredible challenges in pursuit of the dream that would become America. It is because of them that we live today in the greatest nation on earth, and enjoy freedoms that are envied and emulated by nations around the globe.
Our Independence Day is also a reminder that it is our responsibility to continue the efforts of those who created our great nation. As President Reagan said, the American way of life has to “receive constant reinforcement from those who remain convinced of its promise.” It is our responsibility to continue to believe in the greatness of America; to advance the causes of democracy and freedom; and to hold true to the concept of a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people.
May you have a wonderful and safe Fourth of the July holiday, and may God bless you and our great nation. For more information, contact Representative Patricia Pike at patricia.pike@house.mo.gov or call 573-751-5388.
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