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As I joined Oakland County residents to celebrate the Fourth of July last week, it got me thinking about what the holiday means to me and to so many other people.
Of course, we know that it celebrates the day that the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was adopted by the Continental Congress in 1776, marking the birth of independence for America.
But how we commemorate that freedom takes on different shapes. For some, it’s simply a day off work with the chance to find the best place to watch fireworks. For others, it’s a bit more complicated by the recognition that their families weren’t truly free in 1776.
For Charlene Nutton of Huntington Woods, the Fourth of July is all about community and creating memories with neighbors and family. When she moved to the city in the 1970s, there was no Independence Day commemoration, but she decided to change that and went to city leaders with her vision of a parade, concert, games and an ox roast.
Last week, I ran into Char at the Huntington Woods parade, celebrating freedom and the wonderful community tradition she helped create 52 years ago and that is still thriving today.
For me, the Fourth of July was a time to think about our hard-fought democracy, which seems a bit fragile at the moment, but still guarantees a government for and by the people.
I don’t take our democracy for granted and I know you don’t either. And because of that, it’s essential that in Oakland County, we are:
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Transparent and share both our successes and challenges. You can find the data on both on a dashboard posted on Oakland County’s website;
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Fair and Inclusive, providing services and programs to all residents, regardless of zip code or political persuasion;
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Fiscally responsible, building balanced budgets (which I’ll present to the Board of Commissioners next week) with healthy reserves that maintain our coveted AAA bond rating.
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All Ways, Moving Forward, with the passion and relentless focus on being true public servants for the people of Oakland County.
Freedom can be as simple as choosing hot dogs and parades on the Fourth of July or as precise as a reminder of our founding document: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and he pursuit of happiness.”
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