This Independence Day compels us to ask questions about who we are as Americans and as a nation.
A challenge is being able to step back and see the bigger picture amid specific confrontations and controversies.
We believe most Americans continue to share an overall vision of wanting what's best for our country, although we may have very different ideas about how to get there.
That's reflected in the contrasting views of the presumptive presidential nominees - Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton - we have selected to represent the two major political parties.
It also is mirrored in the differing responses to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning some restrictions on abortion clinics, as well as Missourians' reactions to Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a bill easing limits on firearms.
The list could go on, but the lingering question is whether our differences are an asset or a liability.
Pundits have made the case that Trump's political rise reflects national anger and dissatisfaction with America's stature. His slogan - "Make America great again" - presupposes that it once was, but isn't now.
Why do people embrace this belief?
Their prevailing response is our nation has been dragged down by political gridlock, political correctness, weakness in the face of global problems, the erosion of morals and values, and other trends.
Among the troubling trends is how we, as a nation, react to episodic violence by perpetrators who claim to be Islamic terrorists.
The proper response to divisive issues can be found by returning to the fundamentals outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
Freedom of religion not only is a right enumerated in the First Amendment, it was a catalyst for declaring our nation's independence, which we celebrate each Fourth of July.
Although we must take every reasonable action to prevent and punish violence, we must not sacrifice our foundational right to religious freedom.
Our diversity of background, experience and ideas is, and always has been, a strength. And our freedoms outlined in the Constitution must remain our guiding principles.
Independence Day is an opportune time to remember that what unites us is our shared freedom to be different.