Every Fourth of July, Americans celebrate with fireworks, family gatherings, backyard cookouts, and parades. We celebrate the birth of a nation founded on liberty, equality, and the belief that each generation has the responsibility to preserve those ideals for the next.
This year, however, Independence Day feels more reflective than celebratory.
As I write these thoughts from the Dimmick House in Owosso, a home celebrating its 150th anniversary, I cannot help but think about the countless families who have called this house home. Built in 1876, its walls have witnessed nearly three-fifths of America’s history—from Reconstruction and the Industrial Revolution to world wars, economic uncertainty, technological change, and the everyday lives of ordinary families.
Homes like this do not survive for 150 years by accident.
They endure because each generation chooses to preserve what was entrusted to them.
Our country is no different.
That thought seems especially fitting as America celebrates its 250th birthday. For two and a half centuries, our nation has endured because every generation has inherited something precious and accepted the responsibility to leave it stronger than they found it.
This Fourth of July is also deeply personal.
As the father of three adult sons, I realize more each year that the greatest measure of success is not found in a résumé, title, or professional accomplishment. It is found in watching your children become good men. Seeing them build lives of their own while still finding time to call, visit, laugh, challenge me, and create new memories reminds me that family remains one of America’s strongest foundations.
Those moments have become increasingly precious.
Perhaps that is why the events of the past several weeks have caused so many Americans to pause.
Among the most significant was the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision reaffirming birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment. In a 6-3 decision, the Court rejected an attempt to deny citizenship to certain children born in the United States based on their parents’ immigration status. In doing so, it reaffirmed a constitutional principle that has existed for more than 150 years: citizenship is defined by the Constitution—not by executive order.
That principle reaches back to another pivotal period in our nation’s history. Adopted in the aftermath of the Civil War, the Fourteenth Amendment sought to ensure that citizenship and equal protection under the law would never again depend on politics, race, or the changing priorities of those in power. For more than a century and a half, it has stood as one of the cornerstones of our constitutional democracy.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with broader immigration policy, the Court’s decision reminds us that our system of government depends upon checks and balances. Presidents lead. Congress legislates. Courts interpret the Constitution. That separation of powers has helped preserve our republic through moments of triumph and moments of profound disagreement.
The conversation surrounding immigration itself, however, is far from settled.
America has every right—and responsibility—to maintain secure borders and enforce its immigration laws. At the same time, our immigration system should never lose sight of the humanity behind every case file. Behind every policy are parents raising children, veterans who have served this nation, entrepreneurs creating jobs, students pursuing opportunity, and neighbors contributing to their communities. We can pursue border security and meaningful immigration reform without losing our compassion or our commitment to constitutional principles.
As journalists, we have the privilege of telling those stories.
Over the past month, another story has quietly reminded me of what can unite us.
The FIFA World Cup has transformed cities across North America into celebrations of culture, language, and national pride. Here in Michigan, La Prensa Latina News Wire has covered watch parties in Detroit, Lansing, and Grand Rapids where thousands gathered wearing different jerseys, waving different flags, and speaking different languages.
For ninety minutes, politics gave way to sport.
Neighbors who may disagree on nearly everything else found themselves celebrating a brilliant goal, a dramatic save, or an unforgettable victory together.
Perhaps America could use a little more of that.
The recent Michigan heat wave has now passed, but it left behind an important reminder. During those sweltering days, neighbors checked on older residents, volunteers handed out water, families looked after one another, and communities continued gathering despite the uncomfortable conditions. Difficult moments often reveal the very best in people.
Maybe that is America’s story as well.
We are not a perfect nation.
We never have been.
Our history is filled with extraordinary achievements alongside chapters that continue to challenge and teach us. Independence Day is not a celebration of perfection. It is a celebration of possibility—the enduring belief that every generation has the opportunity to build a more perfect Union than the one it inherited.
As fireworks illuminate the sky tonight, I hope we also remember the quieter symbols of our country: historic homes preserved by caring hands, parents watching their children become good people, neighbors helping neighbors, communities united by sport, and a Constitution that continues to guide us through moments of challenge.
Those things rarely make headlines.
Yet they are the foundations upon which America has always been built.
The Dimmick House has stood for 150 years because people chose to preserve it.
America celebrates 250 years because generation after generation has done the same.
From my family to yours, I wish you a safe and meaningful Fourth of July.
May we never stop striving to build a nation worthy of both our history and the generations who will inherit its future.
