Daily Herald opinion: On a solemn Independence Day, we can look to qualities that allow us to reclaim our celebrations

This editorial is a consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

Independence Day dawns with a special solemnity in the suburbs in 2023.

On this day a year ago, excited families lined the streets of Highland Park as parade participants representing nearly every facet of community life stepped off in celebration of the freedom that sets the foundation for our first-of-its-kind nation.

And then, someone used the occasion not to celebrate freedom, but to demonstrate how easily and tragically it can be abused.

Authorities say that with the help of his parents, a 21-year-old Highwood man was able to get a FOID card allowing him to purchase an AR-15 assault rifle and fire scores of rounds into the crowd, killing seven people and wounding 50 more in about a minute. We may argue the point of whether anyone should have the freedom the shooter had to own such a weapon and even, as is playing out in the courts with his father's charges related to the case, that of whether he himself should have that freedom. But the undeniable truth is that he had it and in abusing it demonstrated not only that our liberty is precious but that it also carries responsibilities, including to respect the rights of others to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness and to care for each other.

This is a somber lesson, and one we cannot escape on this combination of holiday and tragic anniversary. But we can also find other, more rejuvenating, if not fully uplifting, messages from the experience. Among those are the resilience, courage and compassion that we share,

Residents of Highland Park will demonstrate those qualities profoundly today as they hold a Remembrance Ceremony, then, in place of a traditional parade, march in solidarity to, in the words of Mayor Nancy Rotering, "reclaim our parade route."

"We view the walk as a transitional moment," Highland Park communications manager Amanda Bennett told our Dave Oberhelman for a report last week.

The date will no doubt be transitional not just for a whole community but also for individuals touched directly by the tragedy.

"Sometimes, it takes a tragedy to see how good people are," said Lauren Bennett, who along with her mother was wounded that day. "The people in our community are charitable. They have big hearts. There's been nothing but open arms and love from our neighbors, friends and acquaintances and people from across the country who reached out to us."

At a time of utter disaster, in an atmosphere of political strife over the very source of their catastrophe, people discarded divisions and animosities to demonstrate their shared humanity. And the demonstrations occurred on many levels.

"There's people who may forever be affected by this tragedy in dispatch, and all first responders," said Annie Marchiafava, operations manager of the Glenview Public Safety Dispatch Center. "But we had a huge outpouring of support from so many dispatching communities, it was almost overwhelming but beautiful to see."

And so, in Highland Park and throughout the suburbs, we retun to our parades and fireworks today, cautiously perhaps but also with a greater appreciation for what our freedom provides us and what it demands of us.

Let this be a transitional moment for all of us, and let us use it not just to remember tragedy, but also to celebrate the beauty in that which makes us united.