Today, we celebrate it with barbecue and fireworks, music and family.

Each and every day, we have the opportunity to experience the freedom of religion, speech and press.

But lately, I think the notion of free speech has been taken too far.

Frequently, my morning walks into the newsroom are punctuated by news of harassment and threats regarding the proposed wind farm.

Residents of Hays and Ellis County have the right to freely express their views about the proposed project southwest of Hays, and many have done so.

I'm overjoyed to see yard signs, letters to the editor and presentations from both sides of the issue. The ability to do so without retribution from the government is what makes our country such a wonderful place - somewhere I'm proud to live.

I think, however, some county residents have stretched the freedom of expression past appropriate limits. It's not about the issue anymore - it's personal. It's disheartening to see people use letters to the editor to bad-mouth their fellow Ellis County residents. It's disappointing to hear about threatening signs being left in people's front yards. It's even more sad to hear that those who disagree with signs in people's yards are vandalizing them. You might not agree with their belief, but what gives any of us the right to attempt to squelch their expression of that belief?

What's even more embarrassing is that some have taken this debate from yard signs, letters to the editor and public meetings to billboards along Interstate 70. I agree that this is perfectly within the realm of free speech, but it's also airing some manky laundry. Do the thousands of people driving along I-70 need to see the intra-county disagreement? What about those who are considering becoming a future resident or bringing a business to Ellis County? What sort of impression are we leaving them with? And how much damage already has been done?

Intelligent public debate by county residents fosters intelligent policy-making by county government. What good are personal attack antics doing for anyone? And is all of the mud-slinging really going to result in a decision any time soon?

Last year, I got a glimpse of some of the hostility during the process of countywide zoning. Members of the audience, and I'm ashamed to say, even members of the board, made verbal and personal attacks on the consultant. You're right, this is not communist China, but it's not the Wild West anymore, either. Strong-arming people or publicly embarrassing them to get your own way hasn't been appropriate behavior for several decades - especially by adults.

Neighbors are scared of neighbors. One resident told me he's frightened to ask a neighbor to look over his livestock if he leaves for the weekend because the atmosphere is hostile.

This is far from the friendly atmosphere I moved here to experience and make a part of my life, and it makes it difficult to advocate for others to come and experience the city and county I have come to call home.

If you want to make a statement, do so in an appropriate manner. Sign a petition or write your county commissioner. Don't encroach upon others' freedom of expression.

Today, as we stand shoulder to shoulder, watching fireworks and celebrating our freedom, let's add a new word to our vocabulary regarding the wind farm debate: respect.

Karen Mikols is a reporter/copy editor at The Hays Daily News. kmikols@dailynews.net