America at 250: Keeping our republic starts here in Florida | Opinion

Each Fourth of July, Americans gather under fireworks, raise flags, attend parades and share meals with family and neighbors. These traditions matter. They bring us together across generations.

Independence Day is more than a celebration. It is a reminder of what was declared in Philadelphia in 1776: that government should not rest on the will of a king, a faction or a distant power, but on the consent of the governed.

That idea was revolutionary then. It remains our responsibility now.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is worth reflecting on what the founders rejected and what they tried to build. They objected to arbitrary power, laws imposed without meaningful representation and courts dependent on political authority rather than justice. In the Declaration, they accused King George III of undermining colonial legislatures and making judges dependent on his will alone.

Those grievances were not historical footnotes. They were warnings. The founders understood that liberty requires more than inspiring words. It requires institutions, laws, checks and balances, and citizens willing to defend them.

Our system has never been perfect. The promise of equality and self-government announced in 1776 was denied to many Americans for far too long. But the genius of the American experiment is that each generation is called to make the country more faithful to its founding principles.

Here in Florida, the institutions of self-government are not abstractions. They are made up of people in our communities: local officials who administer elections, judges who apply the law, clerks who maintain records, lawyers who help resolve disputes, jurors who weigh evidence and citizens who participate in civic life. These institutions may not make headlines, but they are the backbone of our republic.

Our republic depends on trust — not blind trust, but earned trust. Citizens have every right to ask questions, demand transparency, challenge decisions lawfully and expect accountability from public servants. But our republic cannot endure if every institution is presumed illegitimate because it produces an outcome we dislike.

As a former federal judge who served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, I have seen this up close. During my years on the bench, I saw how much our constitutional system depends on the steady work of people who serve their communities. Our republic is sustained not only by founding ideals or speeches, but by citizens and public servants who take their responsibilities seriously: following the law, respecting procedures, weighing evidence, correcting mistakes and accepting lawful outcomes even when they are disappointing or politically inconvenient.

The rule of law separates self-government from raw power. Courts do not exist to favor one party, one candidate, or one official. Judges do not serve a political cause. Election administrators do not serve a political cause. Public servants, judges and local officials swear oaths not to personalities, but to constitutions, laws and the people they serve.

This principle matters most in moments of political tension. When our preferred candidate wins, it is easy to praise the system. The real test comes when our side loses. Peaceful transitions of power, respect for lawful outcomes, and reliance on evidence rather than rumor are not partisan values. They are American values.

This is why civic education matters and why I am a member of Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition. The coalition brings together retired federal district and circuit court judges committed to the separation of powers, the rule of law, and an independent judiciary. Through this work, Keep Our Republic helps citizens understand the systems that protect self-government: how courts review evidence and decide cases, how elections are administered and how constitutional safeguards protect us from government overreach.

It is our civic duty to help citizens understand how the process works and where lawful remedies exist when disputes arise. In a healthy republic, disagreement is expected. But disagreement must be channeled through evidence, law, courts, elections and constitutional order — not threats, rumors or contempt for every institution that stands in the way of our preferred result.

On our nation’s 250th Independence Day, let us recommit ourselves to that work — here in Florida and across the republic we have inherited and must keep.

Ursula M. Ungaro is a former judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and is a member of Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition.