Vice President Joe Biden paid a visit to his native Scranton Tuesday evening, delivering a speech before the city’s fireworks display.

Joined by his sister Valerie and son Beau, as well as U.S. Senator Bob Casey and Lackawanna County Commissioners Corey O’Brien and Jim Wansacz, Biden spoke not of President Obama nor his Republican opponent Mitt Romney, not on the election of any of its hot button issues, but of his hometown roots.

Biden’s Fourth of July message to Scranton? Keep pushing.

“This city has had some tough times, its had its hayday, its come back, its had tough times. But the remarkable thing about all of you is that like my father, you don’t measure success on whether or not a man or woman has been knocked down, you measure it on how many times you get back up,” said Biden.

Biden’s speech appealed to emotion with stories and memories from his childhood in the Electric City. However, the most important part of this speech is that despite the political and economic turmoil Scranton and the rest of the U.S. has faced, Biden reminded the citizens of Scranton just how great their city can be.

“My mother used to say you are defined by your courage and redeemed by your loyalty. So many patriots have come out of this valley. So many patriots have given their lives in the name of freedom. So many people who served with my son Beau in Iraq come out of this valley. We’re about to celebrate the 4th of July, and I will say to you that you are the grit, sinew, and soul of what freedom is all about.”

Here’s video of the speech from the Times-Leader.