Deland, FL, City Commission Meeting
6 July 2022
Leah Molyneax (245 words)

Thank you Mr. Mayor, Mr. vice mayor, and commissioners. Thank you for your service and for the opportunity to begin your meeting with a welcoming message today. 

As we have just celebrated our nation’s independence from unjust taxes, lack of representation and foreign rule, let us remember that Independence Day isn’t just about picnics and fireworks. It is an auspicious commemoration of great meaning and the values we share as a people. 

We celebrate our community and our history when we recall our traditional motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM. Translated from Latin, that means “out of many, [we are] one.”

When we gather like this, let us celebrate our diversity of ideas and our ability to come together for the shared purpose. Today, we are an even more diverse nation, but still one predicated on freedom. 

The United States was founded with the assumption that while we are bestowed with inalienable rights, we must continually strive to further the cause of liberty and justice for all, and we continue that work today.

May we, as a community, show strength of conviction to our own principles while also demonstrating tolerance for dissent, patience in disagreement, and inclusion for all viewpoints as we deliberate and make decisions that affect our community today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

Again, thanks to you and your staff for your commitment to the City, and to all in attendance for striving to make Deland a better place for all.