I wanted to write you a note on Independence Day, John xxxxxx.
I know it can be hard to celebrate our history when it isn’t perfect. The unevenness of the American journey has made some skeptical.
But I’m asking you to make that skepticism your companion, and not your captor. Take my grandfather as an example.
He was born in South Carolina, the child of Jamaican immigrants. When he was just six years old his family was chased out of the country by the Ku Klux Klan. But, John xxxxxx, my grandfather returned.
He is the one who taught me that patriotism cannot be passive. That patriotism is not the belief that your country is perfect, but rather a belief in an ideal that is worth fighting for through struggle and sacrifice. And that we should let the hard truths about our country be a guide toward a better future.
His lessons live through me every day. And, on a day like today, I think it is important to recognize that while this country is not perfect, we can strive to make it better.
I love this country. I fought for it in uniform and I’ve continued to dedicate my life to public service now as Maryland's governor.
Together, we can defend our hard-won freedoms and make it a little easier to get by, for everyone.
I hope you take the long weekend to celebrate with your family, see your loved ones, and take a much-deserved rest. I’ll be enjoying some quality time (and great food) with my family today. After that, the work continues.
Happy Fourth of July.
Elevate,
Wes
