More than 200 years ago, our nation’s founding fathers declared our independence from Great Britain, freedom that we fought to win at a high cost.
As we prepare to celebrate this Fourth of July holiday, we must recognize the value of our freedom and liberty, but we must also ask the question: How independent are we?
As I look across Indianapolis, I am deeply concerned about our shrinking middle class and the gap between the richest and poorest among us. You can never truly be independent if you cannot earn a living wage. That’s why we must continue to push for an increase in the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.
I have fought in Congress to make sure that we protect services for our veterans and elderly Hoosiers, as well as those who have fallen on hard times. If we reduce access to quality health care, food benefits and other critical programs, we are reducing independence for those who most need our assistance.
And even when you look at our students – both K-12 and in higher education – there is clear evidence that we are holding them back when we should be setting them free.
Far too many K-12 students, especially minority students, have been left behind by schools that do not meet their needs or understand how to help them learn. As public servants, we talk a lot about education funding, but money is not the only answer.
Students and their families should not have to search out better schools that could put them in extreme debt just to get a quality education. We need a system that supports our schools in all neighborhoods, not just those with higher incomes.
Those who pursue a path in higher education know all too well how expensive college has become, and how difficult it can be to afford the loans necessary to pay skyrocketing tuition rates. I’ve fought to keep college loan interest rates low, and I believe we must do more to make sure our students finish their degrees so they are able to secure jobs with higher incomes.
Finally, we must turn our attention to the violence that is ravaging our city. Crime impacts everyone in our community, whether it is victims and their families, families of those incarcerated, or neighbors concerned for their safety. Crime keeps our whole community from fully realizing our independence secured by our forefathers.
As elected officials, we must do more to provide resources for law enforcement, but we also need to come together as a community and commit to solving this problem with love, compassion and a desire to lift up our city.
None of us can celebrate our independence unless our city is a safe, welcoming place where we are able to raise our families without fear.
On this Fourth of July, it is important we remember that our nation, state and city are strong, and we have much to celebrate.
But this holiday should also be a time of reflection on how much more we must do to ensure that all Americans feel they have an opportunity to succeed. For too many Hoosiers, the American dream of independence remains a mirage.
