Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – As Americans celebrate Independence Day and the nation’s 250th anniversary, Arkansas First District Congressman Rick Crawford is encouraging citizens to take time not only to celebrate, but to reflect on the significance of the freedoms Americans enjoy.

Crawford, who has represented Arkansas’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011, said the historic milestone should remind Americans of the nation’s enduring commitment to liberty and self-government.

“I wanted to encourage people to celebrate that huge historic milestone and what it’s meant,” Crawford said. “Not just for us in this country—for our personal freedoms and our ability to lead our lives and pursue happiness—but what it’s meant to the rest of the world to have a free America leading on the global stage and helping to deliver freedom elsewhere in the world.”

Crawford said the United States has long served as a beacon for people seeking freedom and opportunity, adding that America’s influence extends far beyond its borders.

“I don’t think you can overstate the importance that our freedom has played to ensure that other freedom-loving people enjoy the same benefits,” he said. “In those countries where they don’t, it’s not uncommon to see them trying to get to the United States to pursue that dream.”

The congressman said America’s system of liberty remains something people across the globe continue to admire and seek.

“What we have is something that I think most freedom-loving people around the world aspire to,” Crawford said.

As families gather for fireworks, parades and community celebrations, Crawford encouraged Americans to approach this year’s Independence Day with a greater sense of appreciation for the nation’s history.

“I think it’s important that we celebrate it this coming Independence Day even a little harder, and a little more earnestly, and with a little more reflection on just what it means to live in this free country and how we’ve been blessed over these last 250 years,” he said.

The United States marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this year, with communities across the country holding commemorative events celebrating the nation’s founding and the principles of liberty, representative government and individual freedom that have shaped American history.