PARADES. GET TOGETHERS. FIREWORKS. All define the Fourth of July as we gather over the long holiday weekend to mark America’s 249th birthday. I hope, in the all of this, that we never lose focus of why we are celebrating. It is, in one word, “freedom.”
In light of that, I reread The Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776, declaring our independence from British rule. It’s worthy of annual review to remind us of the past and to warn us lest we stray back to that which oppressed and suppressed us.
This document is also about our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In fact, those are the words we most often recall when thinking about The Declaration of Independence. As an American, I value my freedoms as an individual and as a writer and photographer.
When I walk or drive through my community, I see a diversity of peoples. Those who grew up here and have deep roots in Faribault. Those who, like me, moved here from other parts of Minnesota (or the United States). And those who flew across an ocean or crossed a border for new opportunities and/or to escape war, violence, oppression and more in their homeland. I’ve talked to immigrants who have fled violence to settle in America, in my community. Their stories are heartbreaking. They just want better, safer lives for themselves and their families. What we all want.
Decades ago while attending grade school during the Cold War, each day began with The Pledge of Allegiance. My classmates and I turned to the American flag hanging in the corner of our rural southwestern Minnesota classroom, placed our hands upon our hearts and recited, “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.” I always wanted to end with “Amen.” The pledge felt like a prayer to me as we spoke in a unified, reverent voice.
But now, in adulthood, I recognize that the wording of the Pledge no longer truly fits America.
Still, I feel pride in the American flag, which flies on street corners in downtown Faribault, in parks, outside government buildings, outside the Legion, in residential yards and elsewhere throughout the city. It is a visual representation of our country. Fifty stars for 50 states. Thirteen red and white stripes representing the original 13 colonies. Even the colors stand for something—red for valor and bravery, white for purity and innocence, and blue for vigilance, perseverance and justice.
On the Fourth and throughout July and summer, an abundance of flags will fly “o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” On Independence Day and in the days thereafter, we’ll don red-white-and-blue attire before stepping out the door for a backyard picnic of grilled burgers and watermelon or heading to an out-of-town celebration or gathering with friends and family.
Among all the food, conversations, music and activities on and around the Fourth, we need to pause and reflect on the word “freedom.” We need to study the long ago words of The Declaration of Independence. Words worth rereading each July in honor of our independence, our freedom.
© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Amen!
🙂
You’ve captured the way I feel about the 4th and our flag and Freedom. I remember when we used to say the Pledge of Allegiance in school, and like you I always wanted to add Amen. I have always loved this phrase in the Declaration: “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.” But I secretly change “men” to “people”, each time I read it. And I relish the idea that a woman – Mary Katharine Goddard – printed out copies of this important document and those copies carry her name. Many of the Declaration’s “Facts be submitted to a candid world” about the wrongs of the King are quite fitting today….
Without writing it specifically in my post, yes, “Facts be submitted to a candid world” definitely fit today. Everyone needs to read this document. Today.
You’ve really brought home the importance of revisiting and understanding this document, what it means, and how it came to be. The 4th of July is celebrated throughout our country, often without a thought for the freedom that it represents and this year, perhaps more than ever before, as it teeters so precariously, we must not take it for granted, and must celebrate and support it in every way we can. We are so incredibly lucky to live in this country and to share it with a diverse population who choose to live here to share these same freedoms with us, and we must not let it slip away.
I am going to use the word I always thought (as a child) that should end The Pledge of Allegiance. AMEN!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. They ring true with me and should for every American.
I loved saying it growing up. As a teacher I always taught it to my classes and even the 3 year olds in my class of 3-5s would memorize it after a time. We had a children’s book that we read at the beginning of the year to introduce it, that explained the meaning of the flag and the pledge and we chose key parts that were age appropriate and relevant to them. Over time, our school gave the teachers the the option to teach it in our classrooms or not, and we chose to continue teaching it in my room. Imagine the pride the children took when helping to teach new children or to teach some of their older learning partners who did not learn it in their classroom. It was not to show off, but they were clearly beaming as they faced the flag and covered their heart with their hands, reciting the pledge. We also continued to teach cursive handwriting in my school in the third grade, feeling that it was something that we should provide children with as a life skill for them to do with as they choose when they left school. Perhaps we were lucky to be a private school as we had these options available to us
Oh, Beth, I love that you taught your littles to say the Pledge of Allegiance. And I like that cursive was taught in your school. I had a discussion last evening about cursive with a group of friends. We were all bemoaning that cursive is no longer taught and the younger generation can’t read or write it. To me it’s an important and necessary skill that needs to be taught and learned, computers or not.
we felt really strongly about giving them this foundation, and some children really loved it
So glad. What a wonderful teacher you have been!
❤