People Are Not Going To Celebrate The Fourth Of July

Tomorrow I'll be recognizing the date that my forefathers signed a Declaration of Independence.

I still love my country and took an oath to defend both it and the Constitution.

I do not exactly like the direction my government has been taking for quite a long time now (read that as decades). I do not like our meddling in foreign affairs, invading or bombing other countries without a really good reason.

I do not like what I see as more and more erosion of our Constitutional rights. I firmly see us heading in a direction where we are all good little drones who do what our federal government tells us to do, no questions asked, because "the government knows best".

Hopefully I'll be dead before then, as it's a far cry from what this country was in the past, and what this country could have been in the future.

Still, I take that oath very seriously. I'll fight to my last breath to help make sure you all get to express yourself freely (even if I don't like what you have to say), your right to vote (even if I don't like who you vote for or what you vote for), your right to bear arms (even if you hate guns, and want all guns gone, I'll still fight for your right to have one if you ever want or need one), and every right you have under the Constitution.

But that's what I'll be celebrating tomorrow: the fact that 239 years ago, a bunch of people got together and had the balls to give tyranny the middle finger.

Too bad it seems that in our world today, most people would rather just roll over and give that all up.

a reply to: Ahabstar

Sorry but I will be celebrating the 4th, not only does it mean our Independence Day but its also a reminder for me of all the men and women of all colors that have served this country to keep our Independence.

I support gay marriage; I can't imagine a world wherein two people should not be allowed to love each other and formalize the expression of that love. They should be able to be listed as beneficiary and be allowed to make decisions in the event of dire injury or illness just like the rest of us. They should be able to be listed on insurance and other govermental programs.

I also cannot imagine using my personal angst as a measure of protest against the fourth of July. I live in the Cayman Islands. I am an American citizen and a conservative patriot. I believe in less government influence than has been exhibited in the past. Tomorrow my Bride and me will dine and party with other expatriates and eventually we will light boxes of 500 mg. payload fireworks and celebrate the day.

Somehow, explosives really capture the moment. When we pick out fireworks, we look for two phrases: (1) 500 mg payload and (2) flaming balls.

Still going to celebrate despite how I'm personally feeling about things. Usually up this way and the Western US as a whole, and more so now, due to the droughts and heat wave personal use of fireworks are very restricted. Even shows, there might be one in the area, if even because of the burnings concerns. It's a boring contrast to where I'm originally from we'd have neighborhood blocks closed up for fire work displays. Then again, while hot it was humid, lacking fire potential issues.

I will celebrate as I do every year. Go to the big show in Boston... as always though, bittersweet. I do love the US, what it's supposed to mean though I'm angry at how we got here, how we continue to as a society thwart everything that we're supposed to be. I'm proud we took one step toward fixing that just this past week. Bigotry is un-American to me, that we all aren't is still cause to celebrate.

originally posted by: Ahabstar
I place this in Rants because the protest is a rant.

I have heard many say that they are not going celebrate the Fourth because America isn't America anymore. For some it is due to the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage. For others the Confederate Flag issue. For over a century, Vicksburg, Mississippi refused to celibate the Fourth (according to legend---some did usually) due to the siege during the Civil War.

But has America become so unamerican for some that they really won't celebrate Independence Day this year? What have other people heard and are you going to skip it this year?

Did people do the same thing after the Civil Rights Act was signed into law?

a reply to: Ahabstar

I feel sorry for those in the U.S. Not celebrating Independence Day. How pathetic it is that some would feel our country is so messed up. Whatever. I will celebrate it.

I'm not celebrating the 4th. If anything, I'll play "Bye Bye Miss American Pie" by Don Mclean and drink wine. The door has been opened to anything that people "feel" should be okay, that we should like it or we're racists, non-tolerant, bigots, etc, etc, etc. Soon we'll probably be arrested for not agreeing.

I remember growing up I believed "Right is right, wrong is wrong" and it was pretty much the moral code of the 10 Commandments, that's all out the window now, the door has been opened, legal precedent has been set, who knows what's next, animal marriages? Young boys married to older men? Why not? The old guys like it so it must be allowed.

It's all gone people. The door is open . . . legally. One small step in through the door and then huge steps you never saw coming. That's what legal precedent is, it opens the way. They always start with something that is popular and use that to widen the door to not so nice things. Y'all have been snookered.

Here's the song, needs some updating but the mood and chorus is right, I hope Don McLean rewrites it,



STM

Note: Come back in ten years and prove me wrong, I hope.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
Here in the UK we celebrate the 5th to show how lucky we are.

In antipodes, some of us celebrate dependence day.

The wife and I just used the extra day off to have a nice little getaway romantic weekend. Stayed at the same hotel we did after getting married, and just enjoyed each other for a couple of days.

Best 4th I've had in a long, long time. No drinking or private explosives needed.

On the 4th, we actually had an awesome view from our hotel windows though. We could see all over the city, about 10 different fireworks shows simultaneously. Pretty neat sight.