Freedom isn't Free: Patriotism Requires Participation

Like so many South Dakotans, I spent the Fourth of July honoring our country’s history. My Independence Day, however, wasn’t limited to one community, but four — Dakota Dunes, Kranzburg, Watertown, and the Lake Traverse Reservation.

Photos from Kranzburg, Watertown, and Agency Village.

It was wonderful to join friends, old and new, as well as families, lots of children, and veterans across these communities in celebrating our nation’s independence and reflecting on the values that have shaped our country for nearly 250 years.

From one of South Dakota’s newest communities in Dakota Dunes, to the small town of Kranzburg, to Watertown, and finally the Lake Traverse Reservation, where I was honored to attend the wacipi and witness the celebration of Native culture and tradition, each stop looked a little different. Yet every community was celebrating something bigger than itself: the promise of America and the people who have worked to make that promise real.

At the end of the day, I climbed into my car for the two-hour drive home from Watertown to Dell Rapids. As darkness settled in, fireworks began lighting up the South Dakota sky. For nearly the entire drive down Interstate 29, I had a front-row seat to celebrations unfolding in towns, neighborhoods, and farmyards. It was a beautiful reminder that patriotism isn’t confined to one place or one tradition. It lives in communities across our state, expressed in different ways but united by a shared love of home and country.

Events like these bring out the very best in South Dakota’s communities, both large and small. They remind us that, despite our differences, we are united by a shared love of country, a strong sense of community, and a deep appreciation for the freedoms we enjoy. Seeing people come together to celebrate our nation’s heritage is a powerful reminder of what makes South Dakota such a special place to call home.

Photo from Dakota Dunes.

Amid the whirlwind of the day’s patriotism and pride, I took a moment to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of those who have fought to secure our nation’s continued independence.

Freedom has never been simple or free. It has been earned through hardship, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to the principle of liberty and justice for all.

We must remember that patriotism is not blindly accepting of the status quo.

Photo from Watertown's Fourth of July Parade.

Our founders built a system that depends on informed and engaged citizens willing to hold their government accountable. As James Madison wrote in Federalist 51, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.”

Being critical of our political leaders is patriotic. Let me repeat that: being critical of our political leaders is patriotic. It is an exercise of the very freedoms that generations of Americans fought to protect. The right to speak freely, petition our government, and demand better from our leaders is not a threat to our democracy; it is one of its greatest strengths.

Photo from Watertown Fourth of July Parade.

Many South Dakotans currently feel that our government has drifted away from the people it was created to serve. The status quo in Washington has too often been one in which the voices of hardworking people are overshadowed by special interests, political insiders, and the well-connected. Many in Washington have forgotten that they work for the American people, not for special interests or the top one percent.

On our nation’s 250th anniversary, we should celebrate not only the freedoms we enjoy, but also our responsibility to preserve them. The strength of our nation lies not in the absence of disagreement, but in the willingness of free people to engage in debate, demand accountability, and work toward a more perfect union. That spirit of civic engagement, grounded in gratitude for those who secured our freedoms and determination to protect them for future generations, is among the highest forms of patriotism there is.

That’s what I saw across South Dakota this Fourth of July. Different communities. Different traditions. Different histories. Yet people gather together because they believe this country is worth celebrating and worth improving. That spirit of civic participation, grounded in gratitude for those who secured our freedoms and determination to protect them for future generations, remains one of the highest forms of patriotism there is.