Earlier this week, former Texas Congressman Ron Paul created a recorded message suggesting that Americans revel in the true spirit of Independence Day: opposing government tyranny, rather than celebrating overwhelming government.

Paul has emphasized the United State’s use of drone strikes on American citizens and warned of the precedence that was set when the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel authorized the drone strike that killed American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki.

“This week Americans will enjoy Independence Day with family cookouts and fireworks. Flags will be displayed in abundance. Sadly, however, what should be a celebration of the courage of those who risked so much to oppose tyranny will instead be turned into a celebration of government, not liberty. The mainstream media and opportunistic politicians have turned Independence Day into the opposite of what was intended,” said Paul.

Paul asked what the signers of the Declaration of Independence would think of the Obama Administration’s “drone memo” that seemingly justifies killing Americans without due process. “Is this not a tyranny similar to that which our Founders opposed? And was such power concentrated in one branch of government not what inspired the rebellion against the English king in the first place?”

While this is an opportune time for sources like Forbes, Parade, and FoxDC to offer Independence Day-themed quotes from figures such as Ronald Reagan, Thomas Jefferson, Bill Clinton, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Woody Guthrie and Margaret Thatcher regarding feel-good thoughts of freedom and decrying general government overreach, Paul remains one of the few who specifically criticize the United States’ foreign policy and its consequence of thwarting liberty- in this recording, chastising drone strikes- which is not usually a popular discussion topic on July 4th.

Paul’s message is available above in its entirety.