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Celebrating the Fourth of July

As we celebrate our nation’s birth this Fourth of July, it is worth remembering that the United States was the first nation formed by a shared set of ideals, rather than from a common language, culture or ancestry.

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    Celebrating the Fourth of July

    Celebrating the Fourth of July

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

    On a small stage in a faraway place, these words ignited a revolution. This declaration was not simply a revolt of colonists from their distant king, but represented a radical change in the historical relationship between the governed and their government.

    As we celebrate our nation’s birth this Fourth of July, it is worth remembering that the United States was the first nation formed by a shared set of ideals, rather than from a common language, culture or ancestry.

    The Declaration of Independence set in motion an unprecedented republican experiment during which time each successive generation has strived to fulfill the promise of liberty and equality for all Americans. This unrelenting effort over 200-plus years to become a better version of ourselves is perhaps the nation’s greatest achievement.

    For those who forget history, it is an easy trap to believe that the country today faces grave challenges, but none greater than the ones previous generations found ways to overcome. Our nation’s strength has always been grounded in individual liberty and commitment to community. And, for as long as that remains true, there is cause for great optimism for the future.

    Whatever plans you may have for this holiday, I hope they create special memories for you and your family.

    To honor our nation’s birthday, I thought I would share a link to a speech by Calvin Coolidge  that describes just how transcendent and profound the Declaration of Independence and the ideas it advanced are.

    I’ve included an excerpt from that speech below.

    Happy Fourth of July!

     

    Calvin Coolidge

    Address at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

    July 5, 1926

    “About the Declaration there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776, that we have had new thoughts and new experiences which have given us a great advance over the people of that day, and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning cannot be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that direction can not lay claim to progress. They are reactionary. Their ideas are not more modern, but more ancient, than those of the Revolutionary fathers.”

    See referenced disclosure (2) at https://blog-dev.americanportfolios.com/disclosures/ 

     

    Contributor

     

    CEO, CIO & President of American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS) 
    631.439.4600, ext. 106 

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