JEFFERSON CITY — Two hundred thirty-seven years ago, a small group of men met and impacted a heretofore unborn nation and, ultimately, the rest of the world. Their goal was not personal advancement, nor advocating for a special interest — their goal was simply independence.

These men were truly fed up. They were tired of the oppressive nature of the current rule of government, especially a government that was not beholden to them at all. Their frustration didn’t just happen overnight, of course. The tyranny of government had dripped into their lives a bit at a time. But the day came that they’d finally had enough. Thankfully, they left behind a clear and concise document explaining their concerns and their solution.

If you haven’t read the Declaration of Independence in a while, I encourage you to do so.  It reads much differently as an adult, educated by life and experience, than it does as a child. Read it carefully, and you can feel our founding fathers’ frustration and fear. You can see the building blocks of the foundation from which they found a new way to govern. And you can understand why they were compelled to risk everything — literally their lives — to be independent.

This Fourth of July, I encourage you to celebrate as usual — safely, of course.  Display your flag, attend a community parade or fireworks event, and enjoy your family and neighbors. I would also suggest you go one step further and actually discuss what happened in 1776 and how it relates to who we are as a nation today. Is this the government our founders wanted? Do federal, state and local governments play the roles they should in our lives?

Celebrating the birth of our nation is a joy and a privilege. Continuing the success of our nation is a challenge. Make some room to do both of these this Thursday. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Changes in Office

As of last Friday, Megan Wolfe has left our Capitol office to pursue an opportunity in the Kansas City area. Megan came on board in March 2012 as a refreshing and upbeat addition to our staff. Please join me in wishing Megan well in her next career. 

While we are looking for a replacement, our phones will be automatically transferred to my Chief of Staff who works out of our in-district office. Please continue to contact us as usual.