Celebrating July 4th

What do you love about America?
by Nina Wang (2022)

Good morning, everyone, and happy Independence Day. My name is Nina Wang, and I will be a senior at RHAM High School this upcoming school year. Thank you for having me here today; it is an honor to speak before you all.

Today I would like to answer this question: What do you love about America? Recent events in American politics have made it difficult to think of an answer. But today is about the things that unite us, a celebration of the uniquely American identity, and so I’ve found that what I love most about this country is its diversity, opportunity, and potential for change.

People from all over the world, from every background and walk of life, come here in order to live a better life. They flee violence or persecution at home, trusting that this nation will afford them kindness and treat them well. They come in search of opportunities for themselves and their families, with lofty dreams for their children and grandchildren. They believe in the freedom and equality for which we stand, the principles upon which America was founded. As a result, America has become a famous mosaic, composed of the many racial, ethnic, and cultural groups that have found their way here. This diversity, in my opinion, is our country’s greatest strength. All of our cultures provide an invaluable richness to life, a wealth made of differences that exist in harmony. That is why we should never lose ourselves to prejudice, because it would mean that we have lost sight of what it means to be American. I think that to be American is to embrace these differences, to understand that no matter what, in the end, we are all people. In the words of American writer and activist Audre Lorde, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” 

Through acceptance and reconciliation we can be united and move forward. That is what I love about America — our beautiful differences, and our ability to make progress not in spite of them, but because of them. As a country and as a people, we are always changing. We can move on from the past but never forget it, learn from our mistakes and try to remedy them, in order to work toward a better, brighter future.

Every year on July 4th, we celebrate all the things we love about being American. Today we celebrate our national pride, our soldiers and veterans, our freedom to choose who we want to be. Today we remember the sacrifices that have been made for this freedom, this privilege, this way of life; today we honor the struggles that we have overcome. Today I am proud to be American.

Thank you.

Hebron (Land of the free and home of the brave)
by Scott Ennis

“We're free because we live where freedom reigns

We're free to celebrate the lives of all

Let's celebrate with beautiful refrains

Accompanied by those who hear the call

We live where folks are brave enough to serve

True service comes in many shapes and forms

Our celebrations recognize the nerve

Of men and women standing through life's storms

Our town was built with strength and love and care

It stands, a model of its brilliant past

Our history is stories all can share

Our future knows the way to make us last

Our town is Hebron, watch now as we pave

A future pathway for both free and brave”