CLINTON — It was raining lightly as Mike Lallemand rode his motorcycle from his home in Whitefield to Clinton's Independence Day celebrations Thursday morning. Lallemand said the weather made him realize something on Independence Day.

Mike Lallemand, 60, of Whitefield stands next to his motorcycle while participating in the Central Maine Fourth of July parade in Clinton on Thursday. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

“These are the tears of patriots who died for our country when they realized this could be the last Fourth of July we celebrate,” said Lallemand, 60, who works in building maintenance for a school district.

Between optimism and hopelessness, Lallemand and others in central Maine reflected on the nation and its future.

As thousands of people gathered in Clinton on Wednesday and Thursday to celebrate the country's independence, the Morning Sentinel asked some of those in attendance what freedom means to them and what they think about the United States.

When it comes to freedom, there was broad agreement among respondents about what it means for America.

“Freedom means the ability to live your life the way you want,” said Dale Thomas Jr., 63, of Burnham.

Dale Thomas Jr., 63, of Burnham, stands next to his 1937 Ford fire truck after the Central Maine Fourth of July parade in Clinton on Thursday. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Bennett Meister, 18, of Carmel, said freedom is “absolutely everything.”

“That’s why I serve my country,” said Meister, a small business owner who serves in the military.

For Fred Thompson, a 54-year-old truck driver from Manchester, freedom means “standing up for our rights and our country – standing behind our veterans who are defending our country.”

Nicole Raven, 29, and Linda Raven, 56, both of Clinton, struggled to explain the meaning of freedom as they waited in the back of a pickup truck for the Central Maine Fourth of July parade to pass through downtown Clinton on Thursday.

Linda Raven, a physical therapy assistant, said after some thought: “Not being controlled by someone else. Being able to do what you want within reason.”

When asked about freedom, Ed Wilshusen II, 55, of Burnham, looked at the crowd of families and others along Main Street in Clinton.

Ed Wilshusen II, 55, of Burnham stands next to his motorcycle before the start of the Central Maine Fourth of July parade in Clinton on Thursday. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

“Everything,” replied Wilshusen, who was riding to Clinton with Lallemand on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. “This is it.”

When asked about the current situation in America, some participants at Clinton's Independence Day celebration had mixed feelings.

Like Lallemand of Whitefield, Thompson of Manchester said he sees a bleak future for the United States.

“Our country is not doing well,” Thompson said.

The other opinions covered the entire spectrum and were partly optimistic.

“It's pathetic,” said Raven of Clinton. “But there is hope.”

“I feel like it could be better, but I’m still hopeful,” said Ashley Bayne, 25, of Albion.

Nicole Raven, 29, right, of Clinton sits in the back of a pickup truck with her sons, Ben and Donnie Raven, on Thursday. Donnie is held by Linda Raven, 57, of Clinton, during the Central Maine Fourth of July Parade in Clinton. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Wilshusen, who volunteers with the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, said he tries to focus on the positive.

“It has its good and its bad sides,” he said. “I just try not to dwell on the bad ones.”

The 18-year-old master said the younger generations would be “able to put things right again.”

Thomas, a semi-retired IT consultant, said his optimism is based on the outcome of the November election, in which he plans to support former President Donald Trump.

“I am cautiously optimistic about America,” Thomas said.

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