This July 4th, Let’s Honor What Makes America Great and IBEW Strong

Dear IBEW 11 Brothers and Sisters,

On July 4th we celebrate the birth of our country, when we the people rose up against a tyrannical king to declare that this nation and its people are created equal and we are all endowed with unalienable rights — life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I am a U.S. Air Force veteran who has served this country proudly, and I will always pledge allegiance with unwavering commitment to our flag and honor the democratic principles its stars and stripes represent: freedom, equality, justice. America is a great melting pot — a nation founded and built by immigrants where we celebrate people from every religion, ethnicity, and culture who come to these shores inspired by the ideal of limitless opportunity and driven by the dream that America is where grit, hard work, and innovation make our goals real. If you roll up your sleeves and believe, you can achieve.

Yet we know that America is a constant work in progress. Our history is an imperfect one that has often forced us into moments of reflection — to test our convictions, make moral choices, and ask ourselves if those ideals declared in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution and carved into the Statue of Liberty are merely words or calls to civic action.

This July 4th feels like one of those moments because many of our leaders have openly proclaimed their belief that this nation’s bedrock democratic principles should only apply to some, not to all. This strikes against the fabric of American democracy and our founding principles — of who we are as a nation and a people. We see it at our job sites, where more than once we have been forced into lock down as federal agents pull up and attempt to literally rip us apart and separate us through fear and intimidation. This is an attack on American democracy that reminds us of the ruling monarchs we fought to overthrow that empowered us to become the nation we are today.

So, as we celebrate Independence Day, let’s remember to stay vigilant, always be safe, take pride in our country, and remember to embrace and protect the most vulnerable brothers and sisters among us who show up to work every day and truly make America great. Democracy will always persevere.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” These words ring truer today than ever before.

In solidarity,