We just celebrated our country’s 248th year of independence!

This independence was to prevent ever being ruled by a Monarchy, one person who rides roughshod over our every word and deed, but a country ruled by a Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America, and which has a checks and balance system of three distinct branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

I started thinking of the freedoms I and my family and friends have been able to enjoy as United States citizens and why so many people who live in countries with dictators live without the simplest freedom to choose a spiritual life, a good-paying job, a spouse to love, school for their children (to have children), health care, music, or simply to have food to eat and a clean and affordable place to live.

Look around at the many concepts of the unwritten freedoms. Get in your car and drive wherever you want on an infrastructure built by Americans and kept up by our collective need to freely explore this beautiful nation we made together. To go to public parks, libraries, museums and all the nationally preserved areas set aside for us all to enjoy. We can revel in the ability to call this land “our country” because we all have a voice, not just one person or group but all of U.S.

One of the appeals is that every family living here, whether by way of midnight ghosting, slave boat, or luxury airplane, we all came here from somewhere of strife or dictatorship. The world still looks to America for hope, for inspiration and for guidance. America’s founding documents provide the guiding light by which much of the world sets its course for the future.

So should we.

MARGARET KUTZERA,

Harrisville