2020 has me feeling a little bit differently about the Fourth of July. In short, it's complicated. So I thought I'd try to articulate some of that.
We can love our country and hate the parts of it that are malicious and unjust.
We can be proud of what our country has been and be embarrassed by some of what it’s become.
We can be honest about our country’s problems as long as we’re resolved to fix them.
It’s okay to not feel overly patriotic when so many things are off the rails, as long as we’re determined to get them back on track.
We can simultaneously love America, think a lot of Americans are selfish and reckless, and still enjoy hanging out and lighting fireworks with friends and neighbors.
I love a lot of things about the Fourth of July. I love laughing and sharing food and drinks with friends. I love seeing the kids squeal and scatter when the fireworks are lit. I love that there’s a day when I don’t mind sweating through the heat because I’m having so much fun. I love the cracks and the booms and the lights and the smells of sulfur—all in celebration of the *idea* of America.
I don’t love everything about the holiday, though—especially the last few years. Blind, unexamined patriotism bothers me when democracy, civic responsibility, and the idea of a collective good all seem to be on the ropes. For me, it's easier to celebrate the Fourth when we can recognize the problems, determine to make things better, and try our best to align our country more closely with the ideals from which it was born.
And if it takes a piña colada and a strip of firecrackers to get us there, then all the better.
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