As we noted in Wednesday’s edition, our nation’s 250th anniversary is two days away — and we are proud to share a special edition with our region to celebrate the occasion.

We addressed how writing and editing this edition prompted us to reflect on the value of hard work to our nation and her communities over those 250 years in Wednesday’s editorial, but another aspect of this momentous occasion is how richly varied our nation is.

From the tropical beaches of Hawaii to the forests of Maine, from the mountains of Idaho and Montana to the rolling farmland of Georgia and South Carolina, from the impoverished upbringing of President Abraham Lincoln to the Roosevelts’ successes and stature ahead of their political aspirations, our country has only been made richer by the uniqueness of American lives and experiences.

For years, more likely decades, we have praised this diversity — and advocated for the decentralized foundations that fosters communities, families and men and women to solve our society’s problems and strive to make America greater still.

We still believe that men and women bringing different perspectives, experiences and qualities will allow our communities — and country — to thrive. We still fear that those that prefer centralized authority with top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions for problems too distant and removed from the lives of bureaucrats hundreds of miles away would weaken that diversity and dull its richness.

We hope it never comes to that, and that our great nation can continue to be a beacon for the inherent value of each man and woman and their freedom and opportunities.