Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. encouraged those gathered at the Williamsburg Fourth of July parade to remember the sacrifices our nation’s founders made to secure America’s freedom.
“We celebrate the creation of the most successful democratic republic in the history of the world,” said White. “We celebrate our freedoms enshrined in the U.S. Bill of Rights and we celebrate the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
White said those freedoms come with a responsibility to pass the gift on to future generations.
“I think we almost forgot that as a nation,” said White. “Let us return to our first principles that founded this great nation where people risked their lives, their liberty and their sacred honor to give a better future to their progeny.”
White reminded the audience of the sacrifices made by our nation’s founders.
“Most of the founders who gave us our freedom probably didn’t expect to survive the effort, but they did it anyway because they knew it was the right thing to do and to them their duty was worth more than their lives,” said White. “They made the world a better place and they made our lives today possible.”
White encouraged listeners to look to tomorrow with hope and optimism.
Following White’s speech and the playing of the national anthem, Williamsburg’s Fourth of July parade began. The ro
ads were soon filled with patriotic floats and vehicles, horses and motorcycles.
The parade featured Mayor Roddy Harrison, Williamsburg Tourism, Whitley County EMS, the Williamsburg Fire and Police Department, JROTC members and more.
Families gathered along the sides of the road waving American flags and collecting candy.
