Video: https://youtu.be/Y-FpIWN1R8E
I love Independence Day: the parades, the fireworks, the smell of something on the grill. It’s a time for Americans to celebrate the blessings of living in the greatest nation on earth.
Hi. I’m State Senator Julian Bradley.
On July 4th, 1776, a group of ordinary men – farmers, lawyers, merchants – crafted an extraordinary document that changed the course of history. They declared that our rights come not from government, but from God. That every person is born free and equal. That no king, no government, no power on earth can take that away.
These men didn’t always live up to their ideals, but what makes America special isn’t that we’re perfect. It’s that we’re constantly striving to become a more perfect union. And it’s their idea that’s made my journey possible.
I grew up in poverty, raised by a single mom who worked incredibly hard. When I graduated high school, I left home with nine dollars, some clothes, and a one-way bus ticket. Since then, I’ve been a professional wrestler, climbed the corporate ladder, and today have the honor of serving in the Wisconsin State Senate.
But today, too many people feel left behind. They’re being told the American Dream is dead. I disagree.
The challenges we face aren’t the result of too much freedom or too much faith in the individual. They’re the result of drifting away from the founding principles that made America strong in the first place. Ronald Reagan warned us that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. Every generation must choose: preserve the blessings it inherited, or allow them to fade away.
As America enters its 250th year, our task is clear: defend liberty, strengthen our communities, and leave a stronger nation for the next generation.
This Independence Day, let’s celebrate not just what America has accomplished, but what remains possible.
Happy 250th birthday, America. The best is yet to come.
I’m State Senator Julian Bradley. Thanks for listening.
