Lake Tahoe News would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July.

Maybe for a day we could put aside the negativity and instead celebrate that we actually have the right to express our opinions. It was the extreme forward thinking of individuals more than 200 years ago who granted us these rights.

Lake Tahoe News does not take lightly its freedom and the inherent responsibilities bestowed upon it via the U.S. Constitution.

We never take freedom of expression for granted. So many countries still do not allow the media to publish or broadcast the truth, but instead only allows its citizens to know what the government sees fit. The United States of America, though not alone, is to be commended for the freedoms it grants its citizens, and in turn the media.

Let us not forget with freedom comes responsibility. And let us not forget that all actions come with consequences.

We thank all of the people who have commented on Lake Tahoe News. This site has been criticized for allowing people to use a screen name, so to speak, instead of a full name. To which, the response is, anyone could say they are Jane Doe. That is no different than putting up Local or some other moniker. There are times when anonymity is necessary, but strength comes from putting a name to your words and thoughts.

It is all of you who symbolize what Independence Day is all about. We live in a country that allows independent thought. That is certainly something worth celebrating.

On a local note, Lake Tahoe News would like to remind everyone fireworks are illegal throughout the basin. Lake Tahoe has suffered the consequences of unintended fires in recent years – most notably the 2007 Angora Fire that destroyed 254 houses on the South Shore when an illegal campfire was not completely extinguished.

Let freedom ring, but let it ring responsibly.

Happy Fourth!