“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

These words, found in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America were adopted nearly 242 years ago by the Second Continental Congress. The sentence, penned by Thomas Jefferson, remains one of the most powerful ever written about our nation.

These days, the debate rages about the merits of the U.S. Constitution and what exactly the Founding Fathers intended when they sat down in September 1787 to craft the inner-workings of the government that still runs the United States. Regardless of which side of the argument each of us personally fall, there is one quintessential truth that lives in the heart of every American citizen: We are incredibly lucky to live in a country where we have free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of worship, the right to bear arms and peacefully protest, among other items established in the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights and its additional 17 Amendments.

We live in a country that has proved the model for other governments around the world, and one in which every man, woman and child are afforded the same opportunities, regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion or gender.

These days, it’s easy to feel like all hope is lost. Both political parties spend more time bickering and pointing fingers than doing any actual work, which means it falls to us – the citizens of this great nation – to pick up the slack, take a stand and continue to make America a great place to call ours.

President Trump is fond of the phrase “make America great again,” but truthfully, America never stopped being great. The resiliency and the beauty of this country lie in the heart and minds of its citizens who make the United States one of the most diverse and dynamic places in the world.

Making America great really isn’t about politics or who is or isn’t in the White House. It’s about what we – the citizens – do for our country, and how we utilize the rights and privileges issued to us in the Constitution for the betterment of ourselves, our families and our communities.

We all serve to make America great and on this upcoming July Fourth, we hope that each of you will rededicate yourselves to doing just that in this upcoming year.

Happy Independence Day.