07/04/2026
Hello Green Tree Democrats,
Today marks 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. 🇺🇸
250 years ago, America committed itself to a radical idea: that ordinary people could govern themselves. It was not a promise that democracy would be easy, or that our nation would be perfect. It was simply a declaration that we believed we could do better.
For some, the daily news cycle has left you feeling disappointed, frustrated, or even in despair. Looking at our country today, it's understandable to wonder whether we've lost our footing.
But America's story has never been one of uninterrupted progress. It's been a story of striving.
250 years ago, a group of rebellious British colonists looked at the world around them and dared to say, "We can do better." They placed their faith not in certainty, but in possibility. And they did not get it right the first time.
Our country’s first framework for self-government only lasted eight years, and revealed serious weaknesses. Rather than abandon the experiment, they learned from the mistakes and wrote the Constitution, knowing their work would never be finished but always tested.
There have been moments of remarkable progress and moments of profound regression. The struggle over what liberty, equality, justice, and self-government require of us has never ended.
That struggle is not a sign that democracy is failing. It is evidence that democracy is still alive.
Today, as we commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, let us celebrate more than a moment in our history. Let us renew our commitment to the idea that inspired it.
Let us reaffirm our commitment to the work of self-governance.
Every generation of Americans must decide whether democracy is simply our inheritance, or a legacy and an ideal we are called to uphold every day.
Today, may we recommit ourselves to that idea and that legacy, with a conviction and recognition that the next chapter of the American experiment is ours to write. ❤️🤍💙
Happy 4th of July. Here's to the ongoing work of creating a more perfect union.
Sam Salopek
-Chair, Green Tree Democratic Committee
