Every year on the Fourth of July, we celebrate freedom. We wave flags, watch fireworks, gather with friends and family, and remember the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But amid the celebrations, it’s worth asking a simple question: What does freedom really mean?
The Declaration of Independence gives us an answer that is just as relevant today as it was 250 years ago. It proclaims that “all men are created equal” and are endowed with the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Just as importantly, it says that governments derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Those words remind us that freedom isn’t simply about being left alone. Freedom is about self-government. It depends on citizens who are willing to participate, to learn, and to accept responsibility for the communities they call home.
Living in Idaho, we often prize independence. That’s one of our strengths. But independence and isolation aren’t the same thing. Our communities thrive because people choose to work together. We coach Little League teams, volunteer at our churches and nonprofits, serve on local boards, attend school concerts, help our neighbors after a storm, and donate to food drives. Those acts don’t limit our freedom. They’re expressions of it.
Over the years, I’ve seen Republicans, Democrats, and independents stand shoulder to shoulder to solve local problems. I’ve watched volunteers preserve public spaces, support families in need, and work to improve our city. I’ve served alongside people whose politics differ from mine, yet we all wanted the same thing: a safe, healthy community where our neighbors could succeed.
That’s the freedom the Declaration points us toward. It’s not just the freedom to say no. It’s the freedom to build something together.
Unfortunately, we’ve started treating politics like a team sport. We sort ourselves by party before we’ve even listened to one another. We assume our neighbors are enemies because they voted differently. We spend more time arguing about national politics than investing in our own neighborhoods.
The Declaration wasn’t just a complaint against a distant king. It was a declaration that ordinary people could govern themselves. That experiment only works when citizens stay engaged. Voting matters, but so do city council meetings, school boards, neighborhood associations, volunteer organizations, and everyday conversations with people whose experiences differ from our own.
This Independence Day, I hope we celebrate more than our nation’s founding. I hope we celebrate the neighbors who make freedom real every day. Not through slogans or social media posts, but through quiet acts of service, civic engagement, and compassion.
The Declaration of Independence wasn’t a promise that freedom would sustain itself. It was an invitation to generations of Americans to keep building a country worthy of those ideals.
That work didn’t end in 1776.
It’s ours now.
Miranda Marquit, Master of Business Administration, is a nationally recognized financial wellness expert, writer, speaker and podcaster. She is a member of the Bonneville County Democratic Central Committee.