Representative Richard Adams...
Having a Thankful Fourth of July 

As I spend time throughout the 79th House District, working on legislation in Columbus, and simply visiting with my family and friends, I am constantly reminded of all the rights as an America that I’m exercising on a daily basis. In our busy lives, it’s often hard to routinely think about how fortunate we are as Americans.  Even when we do, we don’t often think of where our freedoms originate. 

For this reason, it’s important that we set aside days like July 4th to properly reflect upon our heritage as a nation. Each and every day, we benefit from many of the rights that our founders adopted in the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They are the rights that this nation has always believed cannot be separated from our people—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

Men like Jefferson, Franklin and Adams had a vision for America that has lasted us up through today. Regardless of the fact they could not know who would make up this nation or where technology might take us, the truths that they wrote and spoke about continue on. 

Today, we have a country that is made up of people from around the world. We have different religions, races, and political ideologies, yet because of the equality America has not only preached but also practiced, our vast array of citizens has been able to live peaceably. 

It’s this ability and our culmination of people that truly represent what America stands for in the world. We are a nation that offers the chance to live out your dreams, even inspiring men and women from outside our borders to follow these same principles. Whether it is raising a family, building your own business from scratch, or simply living a life with the absence of oppression, the United States has been the place to do it. 

I’m thankful for all that our Founding Fathers and those who fought in the Revolutionary War did for us. Regardless of our struggles as a nation—whether past or present—we have a tradition of overcoming such obstacles. In the future we will continue to make such progress. 

As you go about celebrating Independence Day, it’s my hope that you and your family will not only have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend, but also that you will think about how fortunate we are to be living in the United States of America. This is the hope of the earth, and regardless of our struggles, we are truly lucky to have endless possibility and opportunity right at our fingertips.