For Nation's 250th Anniversary, Patch Wants To Know What It Means To You To Be An American

America’s 250th anniversary celebration of the Declaration of Independence is a good opportunity to look back but also forward.

As an enduring founding text, this document clearly and confidently declares that self-governance, equality, and liberty are not fixed concepts but rather a persistent American promise that every new generation must work to uphold.

One of the goals of the bipartisan America250 committee organizing the semiquincentennial celebration is to engage all 350 million Americans in a thoughtful reflection on the nation's history, founding principles, and future through such initiatives as “Our American Story.”

So, we thought we’d ask:

What’s your story? What makes you proud to be part of the larger American story, and what are your hopes for the country’s future? What do the nation’s founding principles mean to you?

Just fill out the survey below (and, no, we don’t collect email addresses), and we may use your comments in a story on Patch.

One request: Let’s set political disagreements aside. We’re looking for respectful responses that don’t tear down people who may disagree.