Today is when we celebrate the date when our country declared itself an independent nation who no longer had ties to the British Empire. There will be picnics, fireworks and maybe some time to contemplate what it means to be a citizen of the United States at a time of social upheaval around the subject of immigration and the detaining of migrant children who were separated from parents at the border and put into government holding centers indefinitely. As a country of laws, our society functions with the expectation that because of our legal system and the rights that are protected by those laws that will protect future generations as designed.

The arrest and deportation of those who are undocumented by ICE continue with the blessing of the Trump administration. We are in the process of sealing off our border with Mexico with “A big beautiful wall” according to the president. Russia walled off half of Europe to keep people from leaving. The Iron Curtain failed. We are now reversing that policy by trying to keep people out. Independence day is about the freedoms we enjoy as the most powerful country on earth. America has always been a magnet for those who want the best out of life. As our society ages, we will need “young blood” to survive. Immigration is the key to our future as it has always has been in the past. Lest we forget.