For the past two and a half centuries, we have been part of one of the greatest experiments – the concept and successful implementation of self-government – by the people for the people.
It was a challenging time, archival historians remind us – a time when individuals in the 13 colonies pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of freedom.
Signed on July 4, 1776, The Declaration of Independence preamble succinctly states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
For more understanding of the founding of our country, consider watching “The Real American Founding: A Conversation” from Hillsdale College. This free online course, in summation, refers to how our Founding Fathers envisioned establishing and creating a society that protects the common good. You can sign up here: online.hillsdale.edu/courses.
Some 250 years following this act of independence from the British Crown, we still pay tribute to the many who fought and died for our freedoms, who battled those many years across this new territory to the world wars and conflicts that have followed.
We cite the Pledge of Allegiance before the U.S. Flag before every Commissioners Court meeting and many other governmental meetings.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”
Now, as people from around the World are visiting the United States, many during the 2026 FIFA World Cup games, they see firsthand the freedoms we sometimes take for granted – freedoms to choose where and how we live, work, or worship – to name a few.
News stations report of these visitors’ awe of the many opportunities we have here in DFW – from hot and cold showers to the thirst-quenching “Big Gulp” to the size of our homes and the access to shops, jobs and more.
We all have much to celebrate this year of our Semiquincentennial. We live in the “land of the free, because of the brave,” those who protect our amazing country every day. Here’s to the next 250 years! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
Contact Commissioner Dianne Edmondson by email at [email protected] or phone her at 972-434-3960. You can also stop by her office in the Southwest Courthouse, 6200 Canyon Falls Drive, Suite 900, in Flower Mound.
