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Friday is America’s Independence Day. It’s a day for picnics, parades, fireworks and celebrations. They all unite us as Americans and are a means of celebrating our independence.

From the beginning, our founders recognized that July 4 should forever be a day of celebration. We, as Americans, do not know what it is to not be free. We take our freedom and the many blessings we enjoy for granted, and that’s easy to do in the land of the free.

Politics aside, though, this Fourth of July, wouldn’t it be nice to think about the many blessings we enjoy living in the United States of America?

We are a free country only because Americans have sacrificed, fought and died to preserve our basic freedoms.

As Americans, we have the freedom to express ourselves without fear of government reprisal. We can protest in the streets, write letters to the editor and speak out at government meetings. But we must remember that with freedom comes responsibility.

We also have the freedom to worship and associate freely. We are free to live, learn, love and give of ourselves and our talents. These are chief among the reasons why so many historically have flocked to our shores – to have a better life for themselves, their children and their families.

In 1776, the Second Continental Congress of the future United States unanimously agreed to adopt the Declaration of Independence, throwing off the yoke of the British crown. King George III was mad about this revolting development, which in short order led to the Revolutionary War and our nation’s hard-won founding.

From the beginning, our founders recognized that July 4 should forever be a day of national celebration. In a letter to Abigail Adams coinciding with the Declaration, Founding Father and second President John Adams wrote that this day “ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

Who among us could argue with that? Well, apparently that Congress that the founders subsequently established could, because they took until 1870 to declare the Fourth of July a federal holiday. Which just goes to show, as our history tells us, sometimes it takes some doing to become that more perfect union we’re always pursuing.

In any event, we Americans soldiered forth with bold resolve to make the Fourth the most American of summer traditions, bringing together family and friends for barbecues and picnics.

In Elizabethton, we will celebrate with music and fireworks at the Covered Bridge, along with some good food and, yes, we are grateful that the Broad Street Bridge is open to traffic again. It is a great time to celebrate our freedom as Americans.