As another Independence Day passes we all look for ways to show our patriotism and our love for this great nation. I ask that you take the step of reading labels and support our country by buying American at every opportunity. It may seem like a small step, but it can pay huge dividends for our economy and our place in the world.

We all have either family members or friends who have lost jobs as a result of the recession. When I was working in a textile mill, I saw this tragedy unfold for many families in my own community first hand. Unfortunately, some of the folks who were put out of work before the recession as our jobs were shipped overseas have yet to be fully employed again. The way we can bring good jobs home and keep our economy strong is in our own hands. The government can’t do it for us. We have to support American companies. We have to buy our own products in order to grow our economy.

Last week, the Competitiveness Task Force hosted a forum in Washington, and I moderated the Reinvigorating Manufacturing panel. Among those who participated were representatives of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP) and the Council on Competitiveness.

MEP is a national network with hundreds of specialists who understand the needs of America’s small manufacturers and small businesses. For 20 years, they have focused on helping manufacturers increase their profit-lines and streamline their processes through the implementation of cost-saving manufacturing techniques. They also work to provide companies with services and access to public and private resources that enhance growth, improve productivity, reduce costs, and expand capacity. They had a lot of good ideas to offer.

The Council on Competitiveness was founded in 1986 during a time when our country was facing dire economic challenges—the worst since the end of World War II. To meet those mounting challenges, two-dozen industrial, university, and labor leaders joined together to found the Council, a forum for elevating national competitiveness to the forefront of the national consciousness. The Council consists of business leaders, university presidents, and labor leaders working together to ensure U.S. prosperity, and they seem ready to help us through the tough times we face now.

Even in a week when we got news that the United States for the first time since 1870 is supposed to lose our position as the top manufacturer in world to China next year, there was an excitement during the panel discussion that there are people who recognize the importance of making things again. We can’t rely on just a service economy. People all across our economy are seeing that American manufacturing is important to making our economy strong for the future.

I have been saying for years that our government can’t keep making bad trade deals. We, as a matter of national security, must be able to produce what we require here at home. We are Americans, and we are a self-reliant people. We are innovators, and we can find new ways of making manufacturing successful. No matter whether you are a student, a retiree, business owner or a member of the workforce -- you can help. It is time to start looking at the label again – where things are made and let the market know your preference for things made in the USA.

As an American, you can make the difference and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Congressman Larry Kissell (D-N.C. -8) offices include Rockingham: 230 East Franklin St., Rockingham, NC 28379, Phone: 997-2070; Concord number (704) 786-1612; Fayetteville number (910) 920-2070; Washington office: 512 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; phone (202) 225-3715. Web site, kissell.house.gov.