250 years

What exactly are we celebrating?

Jared Ragland

Growing up in small-town Midwestern America, I saw the Fourth of July as a fun summer holiday with fireworks, grilled food, games, music, and celebration. I was fed the same pro-America propaganda that everybody else was. And you know what? I believed it! But over time, my faith in America has eroded. That's what happens when you study history, get educated, and learn the truth about your country.

I still believe those American ideals are possible, but it’s hard not to feel cynical as we commemorate another July 4th and the country's 250th birthday. Those American myths are largely a sham, but they aren’t impossible to realize. I'm not giving up hope, though I definitely feel low these days. It’s hard not to.

I never thought of myself as particularly patriotic, but my view of patriotism has evolved over the past ten years. Dissent is patriotic. Believing in democracy and liberal principles is patriotic. Fighting fascism is patriotic. Many of us still hold these values dear. We need to remember them in times like the ones we’re living through. I keep telling myself: this, too, shall pass.

I often talk about Timothy Snyder’s book, On Tyranny. I bought it in 2017 and have read it every July 4th to remind myself what patriotism really means: we can’t take our democracy for granted. I’m reading it again this morning and wanted to share his words with you because they’re resonating with me today:

A patriot wants the nation to live up to its ideals, which means asking us to be our best selves. A patriot must be concerned with the real world, which is the only place where his country can be loved and sustained. A patriot has universal values, standards by which he judges his nation, always wishing it well — and wishing it would do better.

We're living through dark days right now, but we need to keep the faith. I'm doing my best not to become too gloomy and to hold on to hope. The thing we need to remember is that days like today are opportunities to remind ourselves of who we are and what we value.

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Mike Sinclair, Fourth of July #2, Independence, Missouri, 1997.

I’ll leave you with this, Mike Sinclair’s wonderful photograph of July 4th fireworks. I was nineteen years old when Mike made this picture, and my conception of America has changed quite a bit since then. This image always reminds me of my childhood in small-town Jefferson, Wisconsin, USA. I imagine many of you can relate to it.

Take care, friends. Enjoy your holiday. Be well. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.

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