A Fourth of July Letter: Our Fight for Independence Never Ended

Today is Independence Day. And before I say anything else, I want to start by simply saying: thank you.

Thank you to those who came before us and fought for the right to stand free.

Thank you to the brave souls who still, every day, carry the torch of liberty—whether in Ukraine, Iran, Venezuela, or here at home in the United States.

And thank you—to every one of you reading this—for being part of this growing movement. You are the reason we continue to tell the truth, no matter the cost.

July 4th was never about fireworks. It was about fire.

The fire in the hearts of men and women who refused to bow to tyranny. A ragtag coalition of farmers, laborers, immigrants, and dreamers who stood up to the world’s greatest empire—not for power, not for land, but for the radical idea that people should govern themselves.

It wasn’t easy. They fought in the mud, in the cold, and against all odds. They disagreed. They struggled. But they stayed united. And they won.

It wasn’t a miracle. It was a decision. A decision to fight back.

And now—nearly 250 years later—that same decision is once again before us.

Today, as families gather to celebrate with BBQs and parades, we must also reckon with the truth: our democracy is in danger.

We are living in a moment when a former president is openly defying courts, attacking the Constitution, and cozying up to foreign dictators while threatening American citizens and allies abroad. We’ve watched missiles rain on Ukraine, ICE raids ramp up across cities, and censorship spread through newsrooms like wildfire.

But history reminds us: we’ve seen chaos before.

We’ve seen tyrants rise. We’ve seen powerful men try to rewrite the rules. We’ve seen mobs try to silence truth-tellers and kings try to crown themselves.

And every single time—when people stood together—democracy prevailed.

That is what today means. Not just freedom. But responsibility.

Responsibility to each other.

To stand up when others stay silent.

To speak truth when lies are louder.

To defend liberty, not just with words—but with action, solidarity, and yes, sometimes sacrifice.

Because the Fourth of July isn’t just a holiday. It’s a reminder: freedom is never free—and democracy isn’t a guarantee.

It must be earned. Protected. And passed on.

So where do we go from here?

We do what our forefathers did:

We stay united.

We get loud.

We take nothing for granted.

We build a movement that’s stronger than fear, hate, or apathy.

I’ll be here every step of the way. Risking my freedom. Risking my safety. Risking everything to bring you the truth—because I know what happens when people stay silent in the face of tyranny. I lived it.

But I also know what happens when people rise up. We win.

If this letter moved you—share it. Forward it to three friends. Post it, re-stack it. Let your voice echo louder than the spin machines.

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Your support makes it possible for me to keep writing, reporting, and risking.

And more than anything, it tells the world: we’re not backing down.

This isn’t just a community.

It’s a movement.

And like every great movement in American history—we’re just getting started.

Happy Independence Day.

Stay strong,

Lev