This certainly will be a Fourth of July like no other in our history.

For generations, this has been a time for Americans to come together and celebrate the freedom and independence so many won for us and for Americans to come. We’ve watched the night sky light up with fireworks displays as part of the Independence Day celebrations.

But now?

We’ve seen our nation, which, frankly, hasn’t always been unified, splintered and fractured. We’ve seen the calls for equality and justice for all that haven’t been answered for generations. 

We’ve had a pandemic force us apart, physically, leading to the new term of social distancing and the prevalence of face masks on the population. In turn, it also has led to the decision by many communities, including our own, not to have annual fireworks displays. 

If you do intend to set off your own fireworks, or go somewhere where the fireworks are not being set off by a professional, we hope you will be safe in doing so. 

Let’s hope we can find ways to celebrate the experiment in democracy that is America. Our nation is not perfect but it is still the beacon of freedom and prosperity for the rest of the world. 

And that’s worth celebrating.