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There is so much that I’d like to say about how I feel about this country, and what the Declaration of Independence means to me. And while doing a little research on the subject, I came across this video essay by Bill Moyers which beautifully articulates the paradox that exists between, as he puts it, “what we know and how we live.”

I do believe that all are created equal. I do believe in the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I do believe in justice for all. And I believe that most people in this country feel the same way that I do, which is confused by the choices our government continues to make in the name of the preservation of freedom.

Today, I celebrate bravery. The kind that is willing to risk everything in order to stand with integrity and defend the honor of a nation founded on the principles of free speech and the right to peaceful protest. I stand with people like Edward Snowden, Wendy Davis, and the countless others who so courageously continue to fight to protect the people of this country. It is because of them that I remain hopeful in the legacy of a home for the free and the brave.