By Congressman Tom Cole
250 years. That’s it. By standards of civilization, America is just a toddler, barely out of infancy.
To put this into perspective, one of our biggest adversaries, China, has thousands of years of history. Egypt’s story began long before written records. The English Monarchy, from whom we fought for our independence from, is over a thousand years old. Meanwhile, like I said, our home, the United States of America, is just 250 years old. But in just that short amount of time, no nation has risen to become a worldwide superpower faster, accomplished more, or shaped the modern world as much as we have.
In 1776, as a part of the Deceleration of Independence, our founding document said that men and women have rights, not because they are given rights by a king, but because “…they are endowed by their Creator.” In that sentence alone, our nation made its first booming impact. The Declaration of Independence not only formally created the nation we know today but also introduced an important American principle: a government where the power belongs to the people.
Now, 250 years later, the power still belongs to the people, and due to that right, America has become the leader of the free world. We truly are a military, economic, scientific, and cultural superpower.
Our military stands as a pillar of American strength. Generation after generation of brave and selfless Americans have chosen to answer the call to serve. From the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Vietnam to the deserts of Afghanistan, American servicemembers have made extraordinary sacrifices for our freedom – and it is because of these sacrifices that we have preserved freedom in so many places around the world.
The United States economy is the largest in the world by nominal GDP. But how could we rise to this kind of overpowering economic greatness in just 250 years? Three words: the American dream. In this country, every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life. Here, someone can build a company in their basement and become a billionaire. So many crossed the ocean with a lot more hope than money in their pockets, believing in the American notion that hard work could help them to achieve a better life in America – and the success stories are endless.
American scientists and inventors have changed the world. We have electrified the skies, landed on the moon, created the internet, invented the airplane, been a major thought leader in medicine, and are now leading the rest of the world in the race to perfecting artificial intelligence.
On top of all of that, for 250 years, America has let freedom ring. In this country, we have the freedom to say what we want without fear of arrest, practice faith freely, peacefully protest, vote, and pursue any opportunity we may be interested in. Yet, because these liberties are so deeply ingrained into everyday life, many of us take them for granted.
So, as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday today, I encourage you all to do so with gratitude and thankfulness. Thanks for the opportunities and freedom this country has given us. Thanks for the men and women in uniform who sacrifice it all to ensure we have those rights, and thanks for the Americans who came before us and paved the way.
Like I said before, 250 years is not long compared to the countries we are surrounded by on this Earth. However, what our nation has accomplished in that time is truly incredible – and I am confident our success story is not over. The best is truly yet to come.
With all that being said, let us wish a happy 250th birthday to this nation I love so much, the greatest country in the world, and the place I am truly so proud to call home: the United States of America. Happy Fourth of July, everyone!
