United in Freedom on Fourth of July

Severe drought conditions in the Lone Star State will put a damper on Fourth of July fireworks this year, but that should hardly dampen the spirit of the day.

As Texans and Americans, we are blessed to have cause for celebration on Independence Day and every other day of the year. When you consider the extraordinary sacrifices our founding fathers and patriotic troops have made for freedom and liberty, drought, wildfires, the economy and other challenges tend to take on a more focused perspective.

We live in the greatest nation on earth and have enjoyed 235 years of freedom and independence that allow us to speak our minds, practice our faith, draw strength from our diversity and vote our conscious. Our families and country are protected by the world’s mightiest military and we are free from a tyrannical government.

As a nation, we continue to be as strong in our unity as we are resilient to adversity. These are tough times and many of our neighbors have suffered tremendous losses, but here in America freedom still rings loud and clear, and each of us has a duty to ensure it can never be taken away.

Happy Fourth of July, America. I hope you enjoy some of the powerful images of freedom that follow this posting. May God bless you and our military men and women who protect us.