By Mary Welander
State Rep., D-114
Mary Welander
A remarkable milestone is about to occur: our country will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its existence. Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of men formally put pen to paper and wrote the beginning of the United States of America.
When I think about the terrifying levels of determination, hope and genuine conviction that they and the generations to follow would be better off if they created an entirely new and separate country…it’s safe to say that I admire that amount of confidence and hutzpah.
That hope and belief in a better future is a critical part of the foundation that our country is built on and one that we keep returning to even as we evolve as a nation because it unites us.
Our founding fathers could not have imagined the challenges or changes we have gone through as a country over these centuries. Time and again we have faced trials and conflicts both large and small, and yet our nation still returns to the foundational beliefs of freedom and the ability to create better lives for ourselves and our communities.
The original 13 colonies started this by demanding more and better of those who were governing us; by doing so they laid the groundwork and the expectations that we were due certain rights to processes and independence, and that part of being an American is challenging your government to do better.
By giving us the imperfect tools of democracy, the original signers of the Declaration of Independence gave us a process that accepts dissent and allows for challenges and changes, but always demands us to work toward “a more perfect union” so that underneath it all we remain united in our dedication to the rights and freedoms we created so long ago.
That is patriotism, to me. To see your country fully, dedicate yourself to the values it was built on, love it and celebrate it, but also demand that it can be better.
“Union” is defined as “an act…of uniting or joining two or more things into one.” The founders knew that for the United States to be successful we would have to constantly work with contradictory ideas and find paths forward together. Our history is full of challenges to accepted beliefs that led to changes that improved our union as a whole.
It may seem contradictory, but my belief in those principles and my love of country are reaffirmed in challenging moments, because when something matters to you, you fight for it through the easy and the hard times.
As we approach the Fourth of July, I am reminded that our country has made it this far because for 250 years ordinary people made an extraordinary commitment to beliefs bigger than themselves. With courage and love of country they fought for a better world that promised life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That fight continues with all of us as we challenge, defend and celebrate our complicated and amazing country.
Wishing you all a safe and happy Independence Day.