The 4th of July is always a day of joyful celebration in the US.

Gifts aren’t exchanged as they are on Christmas, eggs aren’t hidden for children to discover, the preparation of the turkey isn’t required, and toasting with champagne is left for NY Eve.

 And while all of those holidays have their place, the 4th of July is filled with casual family fun- hot dogs, fireworks, warm summer days, parades, and of course an abundance of red, white, and blue.

 But somewhere mixed in with all of that is an acknowledgment of why we celebrate the 4th of July.

 And since I am certain that I don’t need to explain to my fellow Republican patriots the “why” for the 4th of July, I do think it’s important to remind us all of “how” we honor this historical day going forward.

 What I have witnessed recently is Republicans shying away from owning their Republicanism. I have seen many of us fearful of proudly wearing the R on their sleeve, worried that they will offend a neighbor or lose a friend.

 As most of you know, I have been doing this a long time - too long some will say. And you also know that I am not without a wide range of opinions. So, I will give you mine on this topic. And I will continue to do so until I see us once again proudly tell the world who we are and what we stand for.

 Every time I see us back away from a political conversation under the guise of being politically correct, I cringe. Because it never phases the Ds to spout their beliefs, feeling fully confident that whatever audience they have is in full agreement. And every time we let that happen, Republican values lose ground. The Republican philosophy takes a hit. Republican spirit is diminished. But most of all, it damages our very souls to not speak our truths about what we stand for and share our beliefs.

 And while it might sound a little melodramatic, all we need to do is speak our minds.

 Those before us moved across vast oceans in search of freedom. And all we have to do is speak our minds.

 They left their loved ones, their riches, their history behind in order to create a new world. And all we have to do is speak our minds.

 They struggled to clear the land and create opportunity and equality for all who ventured here. And all we have to do is speak our minds.

 Many made the ultimate sacrifice and died for us. And all we have to do is speak our minds.

 Until we start the process of shouting from the rooftops, who we are, we will not have an impact on the onslaught of attacks directed towards us every day. We need to face them head-on. We need to correct the misinformation. We need to be proud that we are the party the represents all the values that our founders fought for. We are the ones who believe in liberty and freedom. We are the party that freed the slaves and strives to provide equality for all.

 We are Republicans and there is no greater praise that you can receive than to be called one; no greater honor that can be granted you than to accept that, share that and breathe a sigh of relief that you have the power to stand tall knowing you are on the right side of history.

 Then, and only then will you be doing your part to give meaning to the 4th of July. Then, and only then will you be sharing in what those before us fought for and some died for. And all we have to do is speak our minds.

 Is that really too much to ask?

Kaye Ferry

Chairman

Eagle County Republican Central Committee