Time with friends and family, barbecues, music, and blowing sh*t up. What wasn't there to like about the 4th of July growing up? I especially liked lighting the fireworks in the street and then walking back, feeling all cool, like I had just done something profound. As I entered middle school, high school, and college, I became increasingly more likely to watch free fireworks shows, let other people do the lighting, and actually take into account what the holiday represented. I mean, honestly, when we were kids, how often did we actually associate the 4th of July with this country's independence? That brings me to this year's celebration, if you want to call it that.
While "President" Trump was able to hold a waste-of-bigly-money parade and prove he didn't know history during his speech, I, like a lot of Americans, I think, felt an unseeming sadness when all the fireworks were going off. The holiday is supposed to celebrate our independence, our freedom, what this nation was founded on (eh, post-Natives), and what it stands for. Yet, this year, as people were grilling in their yards; kids were lighting off fireworks; and millions wore the flag as if they were Eddie Murphy's character from the film Coming to America right after he travels to New York from Africa, I reflected. It's looking increasingly more likely that a foreign adversary may have indeed flipped a presidential election of ours. The "president" has continually derided the mainstream media as "fake news," discrediting them at every possible turn. African-Americans, such as Colin Kaepernick, have essentially been blackballed for silently protesting issues like police brutality. Instead of building bridges, the "president" wants to build walls. In a nation founded on immigration, Trump has painted immigrants as the enemy. The "president" has banned transgenders from serving in our military. Women's reproductive rights are seemingly decreasing by the day. Donald Trump himself is likely to have committed financial crimes, not to mention crimes against women. Over 20 women have come forward to allege him of sexual improprieties. So whose freedom were we celebrating this year? It couldn't have been women's, blacks', Hispanics', Muslims', LGBTs, etc. No, it was just of old rich white men, who are vocally Christian, seemingly above the law, and believe in oligarchy.
I don't want to be a buzzkill, but after you engorged in some ribs, had a few drinks, and enjoyed the fireworks, I hope you were able to spend some time reflecting like I did. Just saying we're the freest nation on earth doesn't make it so, and with Trump in office, at least for a large majority of us, our rights have been on a steady decline. Rights aren't to be taken for granted. As soon as we do so, they'll burn out just like some of those fireworks you wasted money on.
Comments
Post a Comment