Honoring America's 250th Anniversary

The following is a message from Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Jason Ball:

Dear Chamber Members, Community Leaders, Lincolnites, Nebraskans, and Americans –

On behalf of our board and our membership, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce wishes you a safe and happy Independence Day. While the United States may not be the oldest nation in the world, 250 years is a meaningful milestone, and one that should be celebrated.
 

Every summer, I take some extra time around this holiday with my family and kids to enjoy the weather and some fireworks. It always gets me thinking about how profoundly lucky I was to be born in the United States.

For all the challenges we face locally and nationally, we get to live in the nation that can boast of having one of the largest economies in history, the world’s default currency, and the freedom to pursue our careers and dreams to the best of our ability.

I’m awestruck by the bravery and tenacity of the founding generation. They made decisions and commitments that were filled with risk and danger; famously pledging their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to create something that has become more than even they could have envisioned.

As I shared with our audience at Annual Meeting in March, they were not unlike members of the Chamber of Commerce today. After all, this nation began with a fight about taxation, something that we revisit annually in the nation’s capital and the state legislature. The founders were farmers, millers, attorneys, brewers, engravers, sailors and community leaders. Today, we would call them entrepreneurs, industrialists, developers, contractors and various kinds of professionals.

What they made is not a perfect nation, but a more perfect one. A nation that has always been filled with more opportunity than perhaps we can seize. But that has meant there is always more to do, and more growth to be had for all. America has been the greatest demonstration of the power of free enterprise and the benefits it offers for all citizens.

This year, as the United States embarks on its next 250 years, I invite you to join me while you mow your lawn, play catch with your kids, light fireworks, or relax by the pool. Take just a moment to reflect on that time 250 years ago and how fortunate we have been to grow up in the nation they founded.

From that reflection, I hope we all take reinvigorated devotion to build economic opportunity for everyone and continue to create a more perfect union.

 

 

 

 

 

Jason Ball, President & CEO
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce