It’s the one holiday that unites all patriotic Americans across this huge and amazing country. While many of us celebrate with fireworks and barbecues, I hope at the end of the day we all appreciate our veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our precious freedom. It’s hard to believe there are countries in this world where you can be imprisoned for simply expressing your opinion. How lucky we all are to be Americans.

In Los Angeles, the police sponsor commercials at movie theaters pleading with the public not to shoot off their guns on the Fourth of July. They also run this same ad just before New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, those shooting their guns into the air either don’t realize bullets eventually fall to earth, injuring innocent people, or they simply don’t care. Don’t get me wrong: I love guns. I got a 20-gauge shotgun for my birthday when I was 10 years old. My grandfather owned it as a kid and my father carved his name in the stock when he also inherited it at 10 years old.

Years ago, in 1983, I moved to Seattle after graduating from the University of British Columbia. Back then the city fireworks were paid for by Ivar Haglund, the owner of Ivar’s Seafoods. (Love their clam chowder.) Ivar died in 1985 so I have no idea who pays for Seattle’s fireworks now. If you lived there back then you know just how amazing those fireworks were.

Growing up in a small Wisconsin farm town, some of my best memories are of the fireworks at the county fairgrounds with my parents. All too often I’ve met celebrities who are so busy away from home that one day they can’t even talk with their children. It’s as if they spoke different languages. You parents know how quickly time passes by. It seems one day you’re taking the training wheels off their bicycles and the next day they’re getting their driver’s license. I can vividly remember carrying my 5-year-old son on my shoulders to the circus and now he’s 43 years old. It seems like only yesterday I had a full head of hair. Time definitely flies by.

Ten years ago I was working as a Hollywood tour guide and would drive a bus full of tourists down to Disneyland. While waiting in the parking lot to pick them up, I would watch the fireworks. They had fireworks in the shape of Mickey Mouse and all the Disneyland characters. The best I’ve ever seen but it doesn’t compare to watching fireworks with your family.

I’ve seen so many mothers and fathers work long hours and even though they are dead tired, still attend their kid’s ball games or class recitals. I don’t know how you do it. You parents are the greatest heroes of all. I hope you get to watch the fireworks with your kids this year, no matter how old they are. You deserve nothing less.

Since this is the most patriotic of holidays I wanted to express what impresses me the most about you people in Coeur d’Alene. I admire your passion to express opinions on any subject, especially when it comes to love of country. So I know you will all celebrate this Fourth of July as the finest Americans in the land. Happy Fourth of July!

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Former Coeur d’Alene resident Tom Neuhoff is a comedy writer who lives in Hollywood but his heart remains in Cd’A.