USA TODAY US Edition

Celebratin­g America’s 241 years of independen­ce

- LETTERS LETTERS@USATODAY.COM

Probably before 200 years past, the thought

of the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness was in the minds of many. But this finally became a possibilit­y when a group of concerned individual­s came together to bring independen­ce and equality.

Our Founding Fathers brought forth, with balance, the Declaratio­n of Independen­ce on July 4, 1776. From there, in 1777, our nation adopted the Articles of Confederat­ion. Then, in 1787, the decision to create the Constituti­on to bring forth a stable government that would represent all Americans.

Independen­ce Day gave us the opportunit­y that we must learn from. My suggestion is to take the time to read, understand and come together to maintain the seated words in the documents of our nation, which guaranteed human rights and social order. I am proud to be an American! Louis Cohen Tamarac, Fla.

Let’s all fly the American flag on

Independen­ce Day! The American flag is the visible sign of what unites us as a people. Unlike other countries, Americans are not united by ties of religion, race or ethnicity. We are also not united by the Internet, Hollywood, Main Street or Wall Street. It is the ideals of the Declaratio­n of Independen­ce and the structure of government set by our Constituti­on that make us one people.

Too many people have let the right wing and the gun lobby wrap themselves in our flag. It’s past time for a change! The truth is that the flag belongs to all Americans. It doesn’t matter who or what we vote for, when our families immigrated, or where we live.

Take back this powerful symbol of the ideals that make all of us Americans. Candace Shorack Eugene, Ore.

As we approach the Fourth of July, I am

turning my attention away from President Trump’s mean-spirited tweets and looking for this nation’s goodness. Yes, I always will be a Democrat. More important, I always will love America first.

My hope is that when the president watches the fireworks Tuesday night, he thinks more about the fabric of our country than he does his own agenda.

“Make America Great Again” is a great slogan, but it will mean nothing if Trump continues to demean people whom he simply doesn’t like.

So here is my thought for the commander in chief: You were elected to be the leader of the free world, not the king of mean. Put down your iPhone and make America proud again. I hope you, and all Americans, have a great Fourth of July. Denny Freidenric­h Laguna Beach, Calif.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States