Saturday is July 4^th—the 250^th anniversary of American independence. 

I know that Tennesseans across our state are so excited to celebrate this milestone with BBQs, fireworks, and fellowship with friends and family. For us, it’s more than just a holiday. It’s an opportunity to reflect on where we’ve come from as a nation—and to think about the future we want to leave our children and grandchildren. Both are deeply connected.

When we read the Declaration of Independence, we are reminded of what makes our country so special:

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

We take these beliefs for granted now. But it is a miracle that our Founding Fathers established our new nation upon them. For almost all of human history, governments ruled over their subjects. In fact, many claimed authority from God to deprive their people of freedom.

The Founders had a different vision: Man is made by God and granted rights by God. There is nothing any ruler can do to change that fact. Government is not meant to rule over us. It’s meant to safeguard our God-given freedoms. Out of this vision comes all the blessings we cherish as Americans: the rule of law, limited government, free commerce, and the checks and balances that sustain our nation.

When government is all powerful, life revolves around the state. Families, churches, communities, small businesses, and civic groups are stomped out. We see this today in totalitarian countries. But that’s not what the Founding Fathers wanted for us. With self-government, Americans have the space to preserve the things that truly matter: faith, family, freedom, hope, and opportunity. As a result, we have a unique national culture and character that you will find nowhere else.

Think about the great Tennesseans of American history: Davy Crockett, the frontiersman and Tennessee congressman who took a final stand at the Alamo; Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, and Roy Acuff, who—from humble beginnings—forged the uniquely American sound of country music; Abby Crawford Milton, Ida B. Wells, Anne Dallas Dudley, Febb Burn, and many other suffragists who fought to make Tennessee the 36^th and final state to ratify the 19^th Amendment; and many, many, more. Where else but America could these pioneers have made their mark on history?

Their stories remind us that one of the most treasured freedoms we have is our freedom of speech. There’s a reason the Founders made it our First Amendment. For 250 years, our nation has been well served by robust, respectful, bipartisan debate. It’s what empowers us to test out different ideas, deliberate, and arrive at a consensus that protects our freedoms and best serves the American people.

To be certain, this process can be contentious. But it is a strength, not a weakness, of our system. In many other countries, a single ruler makes all the decisions. In America, every citizen gets a say in the public square and through their representatives. We discuss, debate, and argue until we hit the right blend of ideas. Then we make laws.

As we celebrate 250 years of this incredible nation, we would be well served to reflect in gratitude on our many blessings. America is the greatest country in the history of the world. We should apologize to no one over that fact. But we owe it to future generations to do everything in our power to preserve and pass on the beliefs that have sustained our country—and which were articulated so well by our Founding Fathers in Philadelphia 250 years ago this week.