In 10 days’ time, Otsego County and the rest of America will celebrate our nation’s 249th birthday. When the signatories penned their names to the bottom of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they put their futures — and their lives — on the line. There was no going back. They had committed treason against the Crown, and thus set in motion the great experiment we call The United States of America.
Each year since (besides the Civil War years) we have collectively commemorated this day through parades, cookouts, concerts, community celebrations and fireworks. From New York to California, Wyoming to Florida and everywhere in between, our nation has come together to celebrate our collective resilience. In our history we have broken the bonds of monarchy, repelled invasion, survived the tearing apart of our very union and triumphed over fascism. We have much to celebrate and much of which to be proud.
Another tradition in America is the history of protest and disagreement. Not all the residents of the British colonies in America were in favor of rebellion. People picked sides knowing full well that if they backed the losing side, their future would not be bright, or safe. Obviously, the choosing of sides and differences of opinion nearly destroyed our country when eleven states seceded from the United States and declared themselves an independent country. We have witnessed major demonstrations, movements and gatherings in our history, on subjects such as whiskey, civil rights, segregation, isolationism, overseas wars, voting rights, gender rights and human rights. Some have been 100% peaceful. Many have not. Some have resulted in violence, lynchings, mass shootings, looting, bombings and arson. One even resulted in an assault on the U.S. Capitol. Huge disagreements are not just an occasional aspect of this union. They have been part of our story from the very beginning. But another indomitable part of this nation has also been a constant — freedom.
We have always enjoyed the freedom to disagree. This was so important to the founding fathers, it is the First Amendment. It is the freedom to fight for what each of us believes is right. To express ourselves without fear of government reprisal. To voice our opinions without fear that one of our neighbors would knock on our door and shoot us dead. That is, until now. The news is a constant stream of citizen-on-citizen violence.
People, we need to be better citizens, better neighbors and better humans. Abraham Lincoln, who himself was slain by an assassin’s bullet, called all of us to recognize “the better angels of our nature.” These words were spoken in his first inaugural address on the eve of the Civil War. And since that horrific conflict that took the lives of over 600,000 Americans, our nation has never been more deeply divided than it is today. Who has the power and opportunity to end this 249-year cycle of strife and violence? We do. You do. I do.
There is no better time and place to begin than in Otsego County, and no better time than July 4, 2025. Oneonta will be one of the many communities celebrating our nation, our history and our freedoms. It’s not a blue holiday or a red holiday. It’s not owned and operated by the privileged or by the disadvantaged. Its not about men, or women, or children, or straight, or gay, or trans, or Black, White, Asian or Hispanic. This celebration is not about Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, agnostics or atheists. It is about all of us. It is about this country that has been built by the blood, sweat, tears and dreams of all its people. And that includes folks with whom you may not agree. Because we all have the right to create our individual life, liberty and the pursuit of our unique happiness. All of us.
So ten days from today, I have a big favor to ask. As you celebrate the Fourth of July, put your personal viewpoints and prejudices aside (we all have them). Share a cold beverage with someone you may not normally hang out with. Share some food with someone who eats different things than you normally do. Listen to someone else’s music playlist and dance with someone you don’t know. Hug someone as if they were your brother or sister, because they are. America is more than violence and talking heads yelling at each other on TV. It is about the fact that we are a collection of souls 249 years in the making.
Have a safe, fun and love-filled Fourth of July. Not sure about you, but I could sure use the break.