[Vision2020] Honor the Fourth

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (July 3, 2006) Lewiston Tribune with a special thanks to Mayor
Nancy Chaney -

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Honor the Fourth

Moscow is a vibrant, friendly, peaceful place. Most of us know our
neighbors, have enough to eat and don't worry that armed gunmen will ransack
our homes in the night. 

We have opportunities for education and professional advancement. We have
the luxury of fretting about things like potholes in our streets or whether
a favorite sports team will defeat its rivals. 

As Americans, we enjoy the freedom to speak our minds and to actively
participate in decision-making that affects our lives. 

Most of us in the United States enjoy such bounty that we lose sight of the
sacrifices that made it so. July 4, 2006 marks the 230th anniversary of our
country's independence from foreign oppression. 

Brave men and women laid the foundation of our freedom, and today, brave men
and women still lay down their lives to preserve it. 

Patriotism during times of a distant war and internal strife can be
difficult. As free-thinking people, it is important that we continue to
express the voices of our consciences. It is also important to celebrate the
wonderful attributes that make our country uniquely what it is: bold,
adventuresome, optimistic, generous and free. 

Please take time on the Fourth of July and every day to think about the many
things we enjoy and our predecessors who helped make them possible. 

Nancy Chaney 
Moscow

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As is so many times reflected:

"Fredom is not free."

Pro patria,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.