As our southern neighbours celebrate the 250th anniversary of the proclamation of the Declaration of Independence today, they do so in a divided and unsettled nation. And in so many ways, what has happened to America in recent years stands in stark contrast to the peoples always looking forward, always seeking, in Jefferson's words, "to build a more perfect union."
For me, one who loves America and her history and the relationship my own country has had throughout history, my July 4, 2026 entry on Art's History will simply repeat the words of the one of the great orators of recent political history. You'll all know him because I refer to Bill Clinton. He once said "There is nothing wrong with America, that can't be fixed with what is right with America."
And in 1992, when I was in my 20s, I found myself inspired by the youthful man from Arkansas who had burst on the national scene in America. His campaign song came from Fleetwood Mac and I think of that election every time I hear the song. "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow," was the line from the song that sums up the America I know and love.
So happy 250th America. Your remarkable country and people are much bigger than any one President. I am still proud to be your neighbour and friend.
Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.