Thank you Gratis. Six minutes past 11 programming a Minnesota Public Radio is supported by the 8th Annual Twin Cities used book fair, July 10th at 4 p.m. July 11th at the State Fairgrounds. Great fun for Book Lovers. And good morning. Welcome to midday on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary IQ. Happy Independence Day weekend to you long Fourth of July weekend is underway with the usual picnics parades and fireworks and his first hour of midday. We thought we would focus on what this celebration is actually all about. Sure. There are the picnics and fireworks in the rest, but the point of it all is to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This is the nation's birthday. Tomorrow Americare is 222 years old judging by the number of people from around the world who come here or want to come here despite all the criticism America off and receive this nation at the age of 222 is apparently still a beacon of freedom and prosperity. Show the kick-off our Independence Day celebration day. We're going to spend this first hour talking about America and freedom and what they mean to you. We would especially like to hear from those of you who are new to America. Those of you who just came here the last few years. What brought you here? And what do you think of America and the American dream way and I should give us a call this morning love to hear from you. Love to talk with you this morning and we're celebrating America's birthday and we'd like you to join our conversation to 276 thousand is our Twin City area number to 276 thousand if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities 1 800 to +422-828-227-6000 or one 800-242-2828 talking about America and freedom and what it all means to you National Public Radio political analyst. Kevin Phillips has been thinking about this Independence Day and he says the mood of the fourth often reflects the mood of the nation the 4th of July. Always about flags and parades up to a point at least but over the years according to historians are been quite a few variations in these in turn tell us a lot about how Americans were feeling I could make this year's celebrations worth more careful attention than usual but more on that in a minute. It was in the 1820s according to historians the Fourth of July celebrations became a distinctive American occasion and tradition it helped the two presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the same Fourth of July in 1826 this train to Unique Spotlight on the day one that was further enlarged when James Monroe the fifth president died on the 4th of July in 1831 newspaper reports even speculated on a Divine scheme of coincidence, but by the 1840s and 1850s, some Americans were starting to see the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution itself is Tainted. According to Cornell University historian Michael, a student in the Fourth of July phenomenon some Southerners already thinking about what would become secession declined to celebrate independence day because I believe that the north and west were denying the South the freedom. It had fought for in the revolution some free blacks and turn also declined to participate in Fourth of July ceremony is because their own lack of Freedom made them regard. The occasion is a sham during the first decade after the Civil War many bitter Southerner is declined to celebrate the 4th of July and in parts of the South it became an exclusively black festivity, but by 1876 America's hundredth birthday party pretty much made it a national occasion again, since then we've seen the Fourth of July elevated by wartime patriotism during World Wars 1 and 2 and also undercut by Publix cynicism as in the years after Vietnam and Watergate, which lasted long enough to put something of a damper on the American Bicentennial in 90. 76 maybe some Foundation or news organization can take a look at the Fourth of July celebrations Across America in the 1990s and tell us where we are today. I say this seriously because I have some reluctance to even guess back in 1990 for some of us this commentator included took a time for another Revolution approached based on the discussed. So many people for filling with Washington that Revolution the Republican takeover of Congress turned out to be more interest group Politics as Usual and it's hard to feel very confident about any solution people seem to have the blahs A Fourth of July celebrations this year also have the blahs that wouldn't be unprecedented. There's certainly no preliminary evidence one way or the other but inasmuch as previous Fourth of July attitudes have been a litmus of sorts for Americans. It could be interesting and maybe even important to know that was a national public radio play tickle analyst Kevin Phillips. So what are you thinking about America and freedom on this Independence Day, it would be interesting to find out and again, we'd love to hear from you this hour, especially those of you who are new to this country new immigrants. What does America and freedom mean to you? That's our conversation subject to this hour 11th day program. And again the phone number to call 227-6002 to 76,000 outside the Twin Cities 1 800 to +422-828-227-6000 or one 800-242-2828 as we kick off our independence. Day celebration first caller is from Edina prakash. Thank you for calling in. Good morning. Good morning. What what does how long have you been here? I've been here about 19 years and I'm a first-generation naturalized US citizen or three observations that I have in mind over my 20 years here. I come from a democracy and Democratic as you can get with freedom of speech and everything else, but the the big difference is the individual citizen is really an individual citizen with all the rights accorded or given to the citizens by the Constitution here. And that is it's hard to explain but it's a very significant difference where the individual is ultimately be the center of the universe not some institution not some organization that some Departments of government body or company. The second is the opportunity is Limitless when an immigrant like me comes here. anything and everything we look at is just opportunity there on the table and four people who are in the 5th or 6th generation here thinks me look Bleaker than they were two generations ago, but for people coming from the other side of the world if it's a limitless world of opportunity here in this country and a third is very difficult to explain again, but I don't believe the Immigrant coming getting off the plane and John F Kennedy Airport or Seattle or any Port of Entry in the United States is going through a very different sort of a climate ization than any of the mainstream citizens for fathers went through six or seven generations ago. The difference is they went to hack into the woods Emily and putting up Log Cabin somewhere and you know, you know, you know white collar world or Information Society. I believe there are many examples of kin to it where you're rummaging through garbage cans to pick up waste of computer paper to make notebooks out of four looking for the free Apple on the on the University departments counter or something like that at the very very hard knock world when it comes to the social Financial cultural and economic factors that puts your words apart from the mainstream. 56 generation are then versus the person coming off the plane 24 hours ago. Yeah, it's always tough to generalize about these things. But can you remember back some of your first impressions? Did you get the sense that we here in America 10 to take what we have for granted or 10 to be so arrogant that we think we have everything in the world and don't think anyone is arrogant, but I do think there is tremendous lack of understanding or Aldi prosperity and wealth missed out on the individual however poor that individual might be He's available from social structure the government and the private Enterprise. And the one thing that does Tricare most immigrants is the amount of wasted in this Society is enormous, whether it's drinking that extra cup of whatever would you didn't need and the wasted your loan can feed feed whole societies into position to receive. And that is something that that never goes away easily from when when we compare the the environment we were raised in them to be. Respectful and not waste things and be very frugal and even Europe which is very wealthy. Even the Europeans come over here and there. I think we we take we take our we somewhat abused our freedom from the first. Well, thanks for your comments preciate it reflecting on his thoughts on America and freedom. And again, if you'd like to join our conversation this hour were talking about America and freedom and what it means to you and we would again be particularly interested in hearing from those of you who are relatively new to America and get your perspectives on what you make of the American experiment. Imran joins us from Rochester. Good morning. How are you just fine that I'm first-generation Pakistani in the sense that my parents immigrated here about 30 years ago. And then I grew up here and I see when I look at you. I see it from two points. If you want as the person is kind of goes back to see relative back in Pakistan in and then comes back over here and then also from the point of view as a boy. Amanda Define who's grown up his entire life in America and its economy that exist and I would say that the fundamental difference that I see is the perception of America. I guess from from the third world perspective vs. What it's like over here. When I go back to the reception in Pakistan is that America is a bully and they tend to judge Americans by their foreign policy and I try to tell people over there that no know if you grow up here, it's a great place to live and a Gentleman Pryor said that there's so much opportunity. If it's what you do with yourself over here in the opportunities that presented that are presented to you that kind of allow you to do the things that you would never be able to do in Pakistan. And just wanted to say that I think that that's one thing that I see it's obvious that directly immigrated from Pakistan three years ago to America and when she came here, I think she she had the impression that everybody in America would be in a reflection of what America's foreign policy is towards the third world that you know that these people are are largely uneducated that they come from a backward place and things of that nature and I when she got here she was surprised to find out that she know Americans are a great people are really friendly really nice and she's I think she's actually yes, you found that she considers America second home now. One thing though that does become evident to her though is that there is a certain sense of I get xenophobia that people in America experience as originally where from I'm from Boston. And so there is more of a cultural milieu from people from different countries, but in the midwest say, I think I find it more and some of xenophobia that you see is a little bit more evidence in the Midwest and I guess maybe on the east or west coast where the greater all of their kind of observation will appreciate the appreciate call. Thanks very much for talking to shower about America and freedom and what they mean to you. And again, we would be particularly interested in hearing from those of you who are relatively new to America get your perspectives. 227. 6000 is our Twin City area number 227-6000 Outside the Twin Cities one 800-242-2828 Charles your next one from I wish from China and I'm a foreign student studying uofm. I think I want to hear is really my dream of America. And then I remember how move I was when reading the Declaration of Independence as high school student in China. After coming to United States for several years. I'm sorry to say that I'm a little bit dissolution. I think it's because you know Toby I mentioned by the previous bobea has two aspects that really talks to me systemic discrimination against foreigners in a sense of employment. Another is the Tobias amount of people about adding some people by living overseas who who may have different cultures and different religions personal experience. It's more about the discrimination against foreigners employment. And for example nowadays a foreign student after graduation even dissing Floyd or even some employers pension to employed. That's the person there's no way to go through it didn't this year because the Dakotas has been reached H-1B visa status. So I'm not even equal but not even close enough in the needles equal ground to compete and a person with US citizenship institutional discrimination. Also are there would be some subtle how true aspect? So in some sense, I feel disillusion in a sense that the human rise, so he called you about the opportunities really to me. It seems that it applies to only US citizens and people who haven't got to this stage or haven't got two permanent resident ship. I really almost sometimes I feel like I'm like a slave in ancient Greece or in the Roman Empire. You can see the other people enjoying great rides, but we do not expect about I fired against foreign countries while one great example of China China has its own history and culture and it's very different from many people with Caucasian origins in my experience here studying working. I could sense the people. Well, I think it's natural to understand that people are afraid of things that they don't know, but they just don't want to The taller a difference and they just assumed right away without knowing the fact that if people do not believe in that religion, then they they must be a pressing a religious freedom or something I guess. So. I think I have talked too much. I would like well, I appreciate your call and basic message being we could sure be a lot more open to two other people think your call. You're welcome. Next caller is from Bloomington Gene. I'm just really grateful this weekend. I'm of the generation. I graduated in 1944 from high school. So I'm the World War II and I am grateful that I Government center of our soldiers back to college help them finish gave us wonderful loans to buy a homes which started this country on its wealth and our children all have the opportunity to go to college and and have wonderful life and I'm just very grateful my husband and I took a long walk to a natural park this morning, which was wonderful and I have all of that to be grateful but on the other hand having said that I'm I'm sad that people come to this country today and want to set up their own little country within our country. Now, my grandmother came from England and our whole family my father's family. Wanted to be Americans and I don't find that today and immigrants. They don't want to come here to be American since they want their language in schools. And I'm sad about that if I went and it was my choice to go to Vietnam memorial hurt or too bad or someplace. I don't think they would be having English language in the schools and import all my food. I just don't think they do it and I think the people should come here and want to be American and that's maybe isn't real American. I don't know but it makes me sad that we're talking about America and freedom and what do they mean to you on this start of our Independence Day weekend again particularly like to hear from those? If you who are a relatively new to America get your perspectives on why you came here and what you found and how tall working out to 276 thousand or one 802-422-2828 222 years ago tomorrow. May I signed the Declaration of Independence 222 years ago. I lie your next please. Thank you for calling to air My Views about America and I'll go to 16996 how I may be able to exercise my face while in United States of America. I've been told that America would be difficult for you to exercise your face because a white negative publication about Islam in America when I get to United States. I realized that impression was wrong and I have a tremendous freedom to exercise my face. I need this location. I would like to thank the people and the government of the United States for their support of Somalia during the Civil War on a lot of Somali for God America. The only one we start realizing I'm on the first thing we learnt was those who come to help this old fannish goodies, please African or european. Whatever happened sport. We I would like to express my gratitude to all of them. I would like to also express my condolences of those combatants who lost their plot of children to the Somalian conflict. I want to tell them that they will please the lights white shooting somebody else life. Thank you. Thanks for calling and welcome to America. Bridget call let's move on to Paul who joins us from White Bear Lake. Good morning. You're on thoughts on American freedom and the rest on his own course flood the programs and missed the Holocaust think God and he lived to be 98 years old and I'm almost twenty-seven grandchildren and queen myself cover almost all the professions lawyers doctors dentist accountants Tails. I never saw a man who died and such peace who just was so amazed that he could leave Warsaw and come to a country and see his grandchildren enter into walks of life that he never dreamed would be possible for him course when he was living. Napoleon I think that the all the callers have really good points is that all there is persecution there is discrimination but the opportunity to overcome it is really here. And also I would say there's also such a thing as a persecution complex certainly people when they come over here and want to be with their own But as time goes on I do believe assimilation occurs, and then they can retain their ethnicity or their culture by choice and not out of fear. And thank you. Thanks for your call or talking this out about America and freedom and what they mean to you as we kick off our independence weekend celebration here on our midday program. If you'd like to join our conversation, we'd love to hear from you, especially again those of you who are new to this country to 276 thousands are Twin City area. Number two two seven six. Outside the Twin Cities one 800-242-2828 get to some more colors in just a moment things considered will head into the Fourth of July weekend with Dennis author of The River Home Society convention comfort and safety. Stay home. If you want your life to be a joyous Trump get outside lizard weekdays at 3 on Minnesota Public Radio Kano W FM 91.1 in the Twin Cities. NPR's Main Street radio coverage of world issues is supported by the blandin foundation committed to strengthening rural communities in expanding cultural opportunities through the Minnesota. Rural Arts initiative partly cloudy skies are forecast for Northwestern Minnesota on this first day of the weekend cloudy and humid, maybe a thunderstorm across southern Minnesota this afternoon with highs low 70s in the North Upper 80s in the South tomorrow should be cloudy to partly cloudy and mild and there is a chance for some rain on Sunday the Twin City forecast for the afternoon 20% chance for a shower or thunderstorm with a high near 80 cloudy in the cities tonight with a low around 60 and then partly cloudy tomorrow with a high in the middle 70s right now in the Twin Cities. We have a cloudy sky and it's 76° We continue our conversation now. That's our talking about America and freedom and what they mean to you as first our remit Day program picking off our Independence Day celebration here at Minnesota Public Radio. Again, if you'd like to join our conversation love to hear from you, especially those of you who are relatively new to America. Give us a call 227-6000 or 1 800-242-2828, Dr. Sherif urnex. Thank you for calling in this morning. Dr. Sharifi, what does go ahead please the fittest degeneration we came from Egypt 27 years ago. And I can primary for education but I came as an immigrant and then we decided to stay here. And this wasn't it was so overwhelming to me to see how do I confirm different to Heritage, but I believe that that that this is the only country I have my boys were young and I make a distinction between that that we have to go to escape the Heritage we have with you from time to time we go and visit Egypt about the American culture. So again, I want to make it as brief except if you have any question to me that I am very grateful for the 27 years since I've been here has out America turned out to be what you thought it would be best because it took 7 years for me to come to the United States. So it took from 1964 to 1971 was a hard hard the movement on and on our part to show the question again. Good. Yes it is. I the country I thought it would be more materialistic Society B is on the movie and B then what we eat. That's when you come when you come here and you see that that's it. It's people are free here to to express what they want to see the occipital to their religious or so, they can keep it. So this is what's different. This is really more better news to me more than what the hell is that is a game that I I want to add one thing you here because I know it is the is the newest his days as far as the flag burning and the speech that the Ducks are some of the people here in the United States was a respected leader of you that they don't understand that. This is a symbol of everybody and if people want to represent There their freedom in a way, maybe they can find something but not the flag because it is for all of us and also that burning is a violence that switch America doesn't stand for and we believe that this is a peaceful peaceful society and the different from the rest of the world is so again, I'm grateful to that that that I'm going to love you. Again. If you have time to ask me the question well when I move on to some other callers, but thanks so much for calling in to give that doggie a pad. Okay. Thanks for calling. Thank you. Let's move on to Catherine who joins us from the Minneapolis this morning. Good morning. America and freedom, what do they mean to you? Well for one thing for judge by her or his or her accent my parents came from Ireland and you had to have the proper accent in order to get dancing lights at that time. They came in the Thursdays. I believe it's changed somewhat now with the computers that has changed Society great deal in Ireland, but I wanted to address the woman who said that at one time when immigrants came here. They wanted to be Americans and that may be true, but they didn't want to just cast aside their languages and their customs and I was brought up in Northeast Minneapolis in the thirties and forties. People there for example the school's I'm Catholic. I was brought up in an area that was largely Catholic but the people were catholic from different countries or from different areas and countries and they have their own parishes and their own schools for the children were taught in their own languages. And I think this holds true over there and ukrainians, for example still have the Ukrainian lessons for their children and Ukrainian dancing and Ukrainian food. And so far the police show the same way there was a very strong drive to maintain and identity with the countries from which they came my own parents didn't want us to play with the truck the other children in the neighborhood because they didn't want us playing with those partners. Can we claim integrated but became became educated in their own way and with the Pride and where we came from and a very definite sense of identity was the goldo to become part of the mainstream for a lack of a better better term or did you see yourself as being separate from that mainstream? I have always seen myself separate from that mainstream. I have always felt that I am not only am different put on better off that and it's definitely not the same. I'm above that that my parents had in mind but they always had that attitude that they were very suspicious but the other people were doing and what their values were. Very definite sense of what R-value should be your call about America and freedom and what they mean to you and again interested in hearing from those of you who are in a relatively new to America. If you'd like to join our conversation to 276 thousand or 1 800 to +422-828-227-6000 or one 802-422-8028. Tomorrow, of course is the nation's birthday America turns 222 years old tomorrow 222 years ago. The Declaration of Independence was signed Eli your next thank you for calling in. Simple. It is to succeed here in America for Foreigner. I've been here only 7 years and I'm currently a medical student at the University of Minnesota. And by the way at my first job in a marriage. What's the weather in Minnesota Public Radio? I used to work at your date of birth and department for about three years. Okay, so probably during the first years. It's very important dates gym for size being a hyphenated American kind of trying to learn the local Customs. I'm trying not to push Things That You Used To Know Your Home Country of the people who live in this country. Well educational for this is something that that interests you or something that you're good at or more business, you know, that's that's that's the wonderful opportunity to cure for foreigners people have had different experiences. Did you find it for your part that Americans so we're generally fairly open and welcoming. What was really depends on the situation and it depends on the Americans that you're talking to her for me of my every conversation pretty much is very predictable because you know the first question that they ask me where am I. I'm depending on what person am I talking to I can kind of Taylor. My story I came here is a political Refugee and you know coming from Russia around here. I'm going to different people have different feelings don't go over to people from Russia because there is quite a bit of propaganda against the my home country here is so it's going to be challenging but also very interesting. Has America turned out to be what you expected it was going to be? by Nature So I'm almost kind of expecting the worst. So I did not really expect to be expected to be accepted easily. So and when I came here, I think America is a wonderful. Thanks for your call Eli and congratulations moving on from public radio to med school. Like you're moving in the right direction. Let's see next caller Michael your turn. Please go ahead for taking my call. I've been in America for 49 years and I was born here. So I'm not new but man, just dealing with the subject of Freedom one concern I have about our society today is the definition of freedom. I tend to think that people are mistaking license for freedom and the definition. I have a freedom equal it includes responsibility and respect and often. I see a lot of people assuming that freedom means anything you want to do without rig Hard for anybody else and without respect for anybody else and that's a big concern of mine because I tend to see that is a way to pull the Society of heart. And I think of a redirection of a definition of what freedom is within this country is necessary. Do you think this is changed or do you think it's a question that people historically of look back at past times as the Good Ol days to Glory Days. Well good question. I think I don't know if it's necessarily change. I look back in the good old times in the Glory Days as I'm pretty much a whitewashed history of this country. We pretty much taken license with a lot of things and the environment with the treatment of Native Americans the treatment of black Americans and what not but a concern I have is is that I see so many adults these days tending to take on the characteristics of adolescence rather than adolescents taking on the characteristics of adults. And instead of going towards a maturity and a recognition that freedom is a responsibility. I'm heading to see people and I'm generalizing here not everybody but many people out for what they want to get time the materialism of at the commercialism. The way things are presented to people on television these days seems to me to be very self-indulgent and irresponsible. All right, and I'm sorry about that. Thanks a lot for calling. Thank you. Next caller is from St.Paul as we talked about America and freedom on this start of our Independence Day weekend Charlie Good afternoon in a returned Peace Corps volunteer. And so I think I bring a little bit of perspective of what it's like to another culture and to have basically the situation flipped of being the Foreigner and I very much have some responses for some for some of the previous colors. When woman who had talked about she wasn't so I didn't seem to be comfortable with other people bringing their cultures hero wasn't sure how American that was. I want to reassure her that Hugo go overseas go abroad you are going to bring your culture with you and I saw I was in Asia and the word there many American bases in Asia and we sure as heck bring our culture with us when we go overseas and that doesn't mean that you are not going to appreciate another culture and that doesn't mean that that you can't learn the language and become a part even practice some of the Customs but culture is in a sense of her a part of Who You Are And you're going to bring that wherever you go. And so that's really fits. My definition of being American is that you bring that's perfect. Wherever you're from an America were from everywhere. You bring a part of that with you and it's a part of who you are and that it couldn't be more American than that the man from the gentleman from Somalia. Dr. Sherif. Most people couldn't be more Americans. They may have an accent they may be from overseas. But that makes him even more American in my opinion and I really wanted to be fair to the earlier call her. I think I think her point was that once people are here. They should make more of an effort to kind of blend into the mainstream. I think that was her Point. Not that they should just forget about where they came from all together, you know, it is again that has to do with your definitions of what of what means Streaming free tomorrow and might I mean, I think these people are mean stream. I live in the part of st. Paul that is very ethnically-mixed is black Asian you name it and it's all it's all a mix and I see I see for example of a growing Nation population here. It's tremendous night. I welcome it because these people bring the bring something to the United States. We bring the bring something that's a part of them and see what she's saying and and but when I was overseas ice Americans, it's like when you're in a foreign land and you it can be really scary and see what there is a tendency to in any Peace Corps in are we a cross-cultural training later? Oldest kind of warned us know wave of closing off a there's a term for a forget that we used but it it's it's it's not it's a phenomenon where you you kind of cut off with surround you and you just completely do all with what you just speak English. She just kind of like bring your own little America with you and lot of you know and indicted said 220 at first maybe a little bit but I I had a wound up having a lot of friends and I from that country from Korea and still I have a great clothes stealing from about that country and I have brought it bring a piece but wherever it goes like I just say to her to welcome it because it is a part of who we are the incredible mix of languages and culture and if it makes her country rich and makes us where I didn't get to say it's it is the mainstream of America. Baxter like you're welcome. Dave's on the line for Minneapolis. Not a lot of time left day. But your thoughts on American Freedom the rest I have had the privilege over the last several months to manage a program with the Department of Natural Resources in that in the central office in St. Paul Outreach to new immigrant and minority people in Southeast Asian community in the Hispanic community and I just wanted to say that the experiences I've had with with people from Laos are both around Hmong people that I've come in contact with Vietnamese people Cambodian people and Hispanic people both my colleagues in the department and the people in the in the communities. We work with around the state of, Minnesota. Assistant extremely impressed by the ability of people with with very difficult to live in in the past and in Southeast Asia to make major contributions here in America to learn English, which might be their third or fourth language in some cases to to contribute not only to their own communities, but the other communities in are in a whole variety of ways and I just went to Echo what the previous caller said in that important for us to remember that all of us with the exception of a couple of percent who are who are indigenous people here are either immigrants or the children of immigrants and emigrants that we that we're dealing with today are very important part of the future of America. Would have made this country great and you're going to continue to keep this country strong and and make it Greater in the future. That's basically what I wanted to say. Nice work all day. Next caller and I think maybe the last caller of the hour Adam go ahead place as with other clients Midwest a woman color previously about a half hour ago hundred fifty years ago. The Frenchman to talk bill came to America and he observed that in America. We have no common language and that's true today and that's been to every year since the talk still came. And also he observed that of America. We have no State religion. He said that the one thing the only thing that binds America together as a nation as a sovereign state is our willingness to cooperate in a democracy for the common good and I think that makes us American or unamerican and trying to learn English language is a good and Noble Pursuit, but retaining your native language and even using that as a pie Language does not make you more American or less American than another person. But secondly, I want to say that last year. I taught in windhoek Namibia, which is Africa to eye doctor ellingston at Concordia into Morehead State University while I was asked to next Davis Adolphus College and their everybody participates in a democracy in their democracy there a president was up for re-election, and he wanted to change the Constitution to run for another term and you had more Housewives 20 HD calling to talk radio show us the express how they felt about term limits in the constitutionality of it then then constitutional issues. and there I had the honor of hearing the Speaker of the House of Namibia ask the children of my score how many children are 8 years old and a few of them raised their hands and he said you are the future you are our country and we could literally see the children grow up with the country and they knew of him saying that they are there country ending with I think we've lost that privilege of knowing that America Is Us I bet Adam we have to run. Thanks. Thank you so much for call talk to you in the shower with him. Glad you could join us for this first hour of our midday program, especially those of you who called in or I tried to call him with your questions and comments big Fourth of July weekend celebration getting underway all across this country tomorrow. America is 222 years old. This is midday coming to you on Minnesota Public Radio and we will continue in just a moment. This is Bill Clinton. President, Minnesota Public Radio, June 30th, Mark the close of a very successful year for MPR with your help. We met our membership projections reaching the goal of enrolling 85,000 supporting members. We ended our fiscal year with a balanced budget and we completed a year when our programming was stronger than ever NPR success is your success your interest and support is what makes the difference enabling us to provide you with the best public radio in the country. Thanks for listening. And thanks for your support. And once again personal, thank you to all of you who been sporting Minnesota Public Radio all year long. Hope you stick with us through this new fiscal year.