Letter to the Editor: Remember, this July 4, why it's called Independence Day

I would like to invite the general public to remember what the holiday on July 4th is really all about.

It's not about cookouts, parades, or fireworks. It's about "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." That is why we should not "Celebrate the 4th." Instead, we should "Celebrate Independence Day," as our founding fathers called it.

The founding fathers of this great country voted for independence from the British government on July 2, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was a written explanation to their fellow colonists as to why the Continental Congress had voted this way. This document was formerly adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776, but was not signed until Aug.  2.

I would like to invite the public to participate in reading the Declaration of Independence at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4, in Bicentennial Park at the WWI Dough Boy statue by the old Stone Bridge next to Grinnell's Beach in Tiverton. We all need to remember why we enjoy the freedom we have in this country, and why the Continental Congress declared our independence as a separate country from England.

I will have a limited supply of Declarations available to read from. (Please remember to bring your reading glasses!) But you are welcome to bring your own copy. I hope you will share your experience at this public reading with others who could not be there - and why it is called Independence Day. Then you can go to your cookouts, parades, and fireworks knowing why it is such a great American holiday.

Susan Anderson

Tiverton Historical Society