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--:-- John Bickley: Happy Independence Day. As fireworks light up the sky and parades roll through town, we're taking a step back from the news you need to know to reflect on the deeper meaning of this American holiday. July 4th isn't just a celebration. It's a tribute to the revolutionary idea that freedom belongs to the people. It's a reminder of a radical moment in history when a group of colonists declared that they would govern themselves.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The idea sparked a revolution, and over the centuries up until today, those ideas are constantly being tested, debated, and defended. I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, July 4th, and this is a special edition of Morning Wire.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Hey everybody, Cabot Phillips here. To me, the 4th of July is all about freedom. Freedom to worship God, the freedom to speak our minds, and for me today, the freedom to blow up some fireworks, grill some massive steaks, maybe shoot a few guns. It's going to be a lot of fun. We are the greatest country on earth. Let's not forget that. God has blessed us immensely. That is worth celebrating. Happy Fourth.
--:-- Senator Marsha Blackburn: Hi there. I'm Senator Marsha Blackburn. And to all of you who are friends of Morning Wire, happy Independence Day. You know, we as Americans have so much to celebrate. We are looking at a growing economy, a border that is secure, a sovereign nation and the world's greatest military. So it is an abundance of blessings that we have for celebration this year. So as you and your family and friends celebrate on the 4th of July and celebrate our independence remember to say thank you to our men and women in the military and to your local law enforcement People who help keep the peace and secure the freedom
--:-- Tim Rice: Hey guys it Daily Wire Deputy Managing Editor Tim Rice here On July 3rd, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, predicting that the anniversary of American independence would be celebrated by succeeding generations, quote, with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore. As always, Adams was more right than he possibly could have known. Almost 250 years later, we're still here doing exactly what he predicted we'd be doing.
--:-- Tim Rice: And while it's important to mark today with fireworks and hot dogs and all that, we also want to take time and remember the enormity of the undertaking we're all part of as citizens of this great country. Or, as Adams puts it at the end of his letter, you will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this declaration and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is more than worth all the means.
--:-- Mary Margaret: Hey, Morning Wire family, this is Mary Margaret. I'm so incredibly grateful for our United States of America and for the precious freedoms that we each enjoy. This 4th of July, I'm heading home to be with my family. We usually kick off the day at mass and then we go to our town's 4th of July parade. It's the cutest thing and my siblings have been riding their bikes in it for years. Then we'll get a whole bunch of good food and some junk and go see fireworks at the local festival and then probably get stuck in traffic for a couple hours, but it's so worth it. I hope you all enjoy your 4th as well and God bless America.
--:-- Spencer Lindquist: Hey, Morning Wire listeners. This is Spencer Lindquist and I want to wish you a very happy Independence Day. I hope you're on a beach or a lake somewhere in this beautiful country. and celebrating nearly two and a half centuries in the life of the greatest country ever. More than just a day to celebrate, this is also a time to reflect on the values and the spirit that made America the greatest country in the world. From the abiding faith of the pilgrims who traveled to an unknown continent, to the dauntless courage of the frontiersmen who won us the West, and the vision of great statesmen who made a country built to last.
--:-- Spencer Lindquist: Happy Independence Day. I have always loved the 4th of July, and my favorite way to celebrate has been on the beach in Cape Cod with my family. But as I've gotten older, I've become more aware of just how radical the story of American independence is. A handful of extraordinary citizens had an idea for a free country governed by the people for the people and they were able to inspire hundreds of thousands of everyday men and women most of whom were farmers and tradespeople to volunteer to fight and die for the American idea And it's worth noting that recruiting people to the revolution was dangerous because these ideas were considered extremely treasonous to the crown. So these ideas were spread in secret through spies and coded letters through underground networks that infiltrated all corners of society. So the 4th isn't just a story about military success. It's a story about the incredible bravery on the part of many, many regular people and the visionary genius of a few. So let this holiday be a reminder of the amazing people who came before us. And let's be inspired to live up to our principles and protect this great country we've inherited. Happy birthday, America.
--:-- Kenny Polcaro: This July 4th, like every year, we remember what our founding fathers did to throw off the chains of oppression, to throw off high taxation, a government that was way too big and that was infringing on personal liberties. Thank God we are doing exactly the same thing today. It's time for another American revolution, one that makes governments smaller so that there's room for Americans to thrive. That's what I'm going to be thinking about this July 4th. We'll be reflecting on how for four years, the country was going in the wrong direction, and now we're finally going in the right direction. We got a lot of lost ground to try to make up, but still, baby steps here. We are moving in the right direction. That's something to be hopeful about. It's something to be grateful for. Something to be grateful for, not only that our founding fathers set us on this path almost 250 years ago, but that we are returning to that path today. So I'll be spending this fourth, not only in gratitude, but with loved ones, with family, and with friends. And I hope all of you can do the same.
--:-- Tim Rice: Hey guys, it's Tim. Happy 4th of July to the best podcast audience around. I hope you all have a great time celebrating America and her promise alongside all the people that make life worth it. After all, we live in the greatest country in the history of the world, a country capable of flying halfway around the world in total secrecy to blow up an aspiring nuclear terrorist regime. God bless you all and God bless America.
--:-- Tom Papert: Independence Day to me is the day we remember what makes America special. And that that on July 4th 1776 a group of ordinary men decided to do something that had never been done before at the time in modern history and that is to rebel from the crown but not to just be rebellious not just to get a tax taken away. No, they created an entirely new country built on justice, freedom, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, ideas that had never even been conceived to be a part of government before and ideas that, by the way, would inform every year to follow. Every year of history since July 4th, 1776 has been the American epoch. It's been America's history, America's world. Everyone else is just living in it. So now here we are almost 250 years later, and that's what I think of when I think Independence Day. I think it's the immutable character of the American people standing up and asserting themselves and changing the world. And I think the American people keep on doing that. I think they most recently did that in November of 2024, when once again, the American people stood up and said, we will not be ruled from overseas. We will not bow to foreign interests. We love America. This is America first, just as the founding fathers wanted. That, to me, is Independence Day, the 4th of July.
--:-- Kenny Polcaro: Well, here I am. Good morning. It's me, Kenny Polcaro, your host of the party, and I want to say happy birthday, America. Today, we celebrate the land of the free and the home of the brave, 252 years strong. From sea to shining sea, the USA stands as a beacon of liberty, opportunity, and resilience. The 4th of July represents the bold spirit of the founding fathers who dared to dare that dream of a nation built on freedom and unity. We're a country of innovators and dreamers and doers where anyone can chase the American dream and make it big. Here's a little fun fact. Not sure you ever knew this. Ever wonder why we love those fireworks on the 4th of July? Because they are a nod to the bombs bursting in air from the star-spangled banner symbolizing our resilience since 1776. So it's time to fire up that grill, wave the flag, and let's toast to America's unbreakable spirit. Here's to the red, white, and blue. Happy birthday, America.
--:-- John Bickley: Once again, happy Independence Day to all of our listeners and viewers. This has been a special holiday edition of Morning Wire.
