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WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

America to me means freedom.

It means to be able to express your opinion.

My belief that I'm damn lucky to be an American is ever present.

What does being an American mean to you?

It's Friday, July 4th, and this is here and now anytime from NPR and WBOR, Boston.

I'm Ashley Locke, in for Chris Bentley.

Today on the show, Grammy-winning musician John Driscoll Hopkins on living with and making music after an ALS diagnosis.

And a young poet on the art of reading poems out loud.

To me, I think about who would I, whose heart do I carry?

And for me, my answer is my mom. Like, this is me almost in a conversation

with her. But first, while the Declaration of Independence says that all men are created equal,

it doesn't expressly define who is a citizen. With President Trump now declaring an end to automatic

citizenship for people born in the United States,

we wanted to hear from listeners about what it means to be an American.

Scott Tong picks up the story with responses from across the country.

My name is Krista Vowell, and I'm calling from Starkville, Mississippi.

To me, America is a promise.

It's a promise of security.

...