Dear [salutation],
Happy Birthday, United States of America! Tomorrow, our nation will celebrate its 250th anniversary. I’ve often said that the United States of America is the greatest democracy in the history of the world. I still believe that, even though we are in turmoil. President Lincoln warned us that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Our country is profoundly divided today.
This weekend, I hope we will remember two things. First, we are not entitled to this democracy. We have to fight for it, just like those before us (against the oppression of a king at our very beginning). Our rights and freedoms are not handed down from the sky. Each generation has had to fight for them. Patriots and servicemembers have died for them. Right now, it’s our fight.
Second, let’s reflect on some of the benefits that 250 years of freedom, equality, and opportunity have born. As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, I'm using this time to think about what makes our country so special. And I know that our nation is not forever defined by one President whose term will end in two years.
It’s an honor to serve California’s 50th district in Congress, and I will always do my part to ensure we continue to strive for a more perfect union.
I hope everyone enjoys a safe and happy Fourth of July!
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Collaboration and innovation are at the core of who we are as a country. American scientists and visionaries have invented lightbulbs, lifesaving vaccines, the internet, and so much more. They’ve pioneered air and space travel, the manufacturing assembly line, and social media. All of it was the result of people coming together to solve a problem.
San Diego is the embodiment of that ingenuity. We’re home to one of the country’s largest life sciences ecosystems, including world-class public and private research institutions that turn breakthrough discoveries into much-needed therapies and cures. With the help of the private sector, the San Diego region leveraged its public research funding to generate more than $54 billion of total economic output in 2024. It's a major source of pride for our community as well as a crucial part of our local and national economy.
We’re also a proud Navy and Marine town where our military blends into our culture and pushes us to work together. We see businesses working together to serve the community, the Navy working with the Port Commission, and hospitals coordinating disaster response and public health. |
America has always been a nation of immigrants. President Reagan once shared something that resonated with him from a letter he received: “You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American.”
San Diego’s diversity is it’s strength — nearly 1 in 4 San Diegans were born in another country, and immigrants contribute $33.1 billion in annual spending power to our region. We want the best and brightest minds from around the world coming here to make life-changing medical and scientific discoveries, start businesses that provide essential services, serve in our armed forces and fight for our freedoms, and raise families that contribute to our communities. |
The First Amendment grants us the right to voice grievances, protest, and demand change. Since the very beginning, ordinary people have transformed this country. Farmers made up the Continental Army and the Minutemen and defeated one of the greatest militaries in the world in the American Revolution. 300 tenacious women attended the Seneca Falls Convention and – with great effort and determination – countless more women worked to secure the 19th amendment. Opal Lee was a retired teacher who walked across the country to raise awareness around Juneteenth and the importance of making it a federal holiday. High school and college students, fed up with school shootings and preventable gun violence, started local and national organizations that have been a driving voice in the fight to expand gun safety measures.
A more perfect union is worth fighting for. If you’re feeling scared or angry about what's happening in Washington, or if you need somewhere to channel the hope you have for a better future, I encourage you to get involved in your community. Find an organization or elected official that focuses on an issue you care about and volunteer, learn, share ideas, and take action with them. As Americans, we are never powerless. Be engaged, get involved, and fight for what you believe in. I will continue to do that, and I hope you will too. |
Check out America250.org to browse through National Field Trip competition winners, find out what’s in America’s Time Capsule, listen to America’s Soundtrack, and more to get in the spirit of this celebratory weekend!
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Scott H. Peters
Member of Congress
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