OPINION — Like many Arizonans, I spent the Fourth of July gathered with my family — all dressed in red, white and blue — watching the fireworks and reflecting on the significance of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
I feel such enormous appreciation for the freedoms I enjoy and for the sacrifices of those who worked over the last 250 years to create a more perfect union. But celebrating the great American experience cannot stop when the last firework has graced the sky. Gratitude for our country isn’t best expressed in one-day celebrations. Patriotism isn’t just a feeling; it involves action.
When the Arizona Constitution went into effect on Feb.14, 1912, Article 7 Section 10 empowered everyday voters with the ability to decide who would be on the ballot for the general election: “The Legislature shall enact a direct primary election law, which shall provide for the nomination of candidates for all elective State, county, and city offices, including candidates for United States Senator and for Representative in Congress.”
