CLEVELAND — The following is a statement by BLE International President Don M. Hahs on the Canada Day and Independence Day:
All BLE members in the U.S. and Canada are joining together this week in a celebration of freedom. Each year, the first week of July is filled with the celebration of what makes our nations the envy of the world. On July 1st and July 4th, we celebrate our nations and our independence. These holidays are reminders of the virtue that we hold dear on this continent — freedom.
It seems as though we have not been short of reminders of the price of freedom lately. We are constantly barraged with images from other nations, which show the oppression that is familiar to too many people in the world. Our freedom is sweeter when compared to the injustices that we see all too often.
The U.S. and Canada share a lot across our expansive border, including our love of freedom. Over the years we have developed similar, but distinct cultures. Together, we face a world filled with oppression and serve as beacons of hope.
I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday.