When asked what freedom and equality means to my wife and me ahead of the 4th of July this year, we did not realize how much thought would go into our answer. In the Declaration of Independence, we are told that all men are created equal.

However, it's never been more clear how far we are from that reality when you think about it today. We concluded that much of the time, people talk about freedom and equality like they are complementary. You can't have one without the other. But I think the more we have one, the less we have of the other. If you look at countries around the world, you could argue some are much more equal, but significantly less free.

When I look at my country, I see my people, especially the poorest of my people, subjected to systemic and grave inequality. But I have the freedom to sit here, in my position and talk about it. I have the freedom to vote for someone who says they will address it, and we are thankful for that opportunity.