An Open Letter from John Weidenhammer: Thoughts on July Fourth

We hold these truths to be self-evident …

We sometimes forget that July Fourth celebrates the creation of our great Nation with the approval of the Declaration of Independence by Congress. The document was signed on August 2, 1776, in Independence Hall.

The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, was the first formal statement of our Nation’s people asserting their right to choose their own government.  This declaration sought to end the oppression and tyranny exerted by British rule. 

Americans had enough of this despotism and were demanding change. The document summarized the colonists’ motivations for severing ties and seeking independence. Americans were ready to fight, and die, for freedom.

We are reminded on this day that the freedoms we enjoy, as Americans, were obtained at a high cost, and that freedom isn’t free. I hope you will pause today, if only for a moment, to remember those brave and courageous souls who paid so heavy a price by laying their lives on the altar of freedom. Always remember.

Please accept my sincerest wish for a safe and joyous Fourth Holiday.

John P. Weidenhammer