Thoughts About the Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is at the end of this week. Many towns have festivities and spectacular fireworks displays at night. Some big cities, too. In New York, the Macy's spectacular is moving from the Hudson River side back to the East River. The Boston Pops' concert will be streamed online for the first time. PBS will continue its tradition of broadcasting from the US Capitol in Washington, DC. This year also is the 200th anniversary of the Star-Spangled Banner, penned by Francis Scott Key at Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Philadelphia is having its own share of festivities as well. All in all, it should be a fun time anywhere along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, and a time to reflect on the privilege and responsibility of living in a free society, guided by a Constitution, where the free flow of ideas allows us to debate the merits and drawbacks of an infinite stream of ideas.  

Sometimes these ideas and ideals are challenged, as on September 11th, but then these challenges have a way of bringing us closer together. Last summer, throughout the month of July, it was an amazing sight to see the new World Trade Center lit up in red, white, and blue. In the hills of West Orange, New Jersey, perhaps 10 to 15 miles away from lower Manhattan, stands a beautiful tribute to the events of September 11th, overlooking an incredibly panoramic view of the New York skyline. Engraved on a wall are the names of those who lost their lives on that horrific day. What strikes me is the diversity of names, whether they are from the USA or abroad. Our differences are what make us strong. 

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