What Independence Day Means to Me
The holiday should be a moment of reflection and optimism
In case you haven’t noticed from the ten barbecues that popped up in your neighborhood or the incessant banging of prematurely launched fireworks, it is July 4th. For many people, that means hanging up a couple of flags, going to a party, and enjoying a late-night fireworks show. Others might give a noncommittal “Happy Independence Day” to their friends and do nothing else out of the ordinary.
Regardless, I can’t help but feel that routine has worn away at our perception of what Independence Day should be about.
On July 1st, I went to a friend’s house. On top of their kitchen table stood a mountain of fireworks, proof of their excitement for the upcoming holiday. When I asked why they were going so far to celebrate, they responded with platitudes of “freedom” and “equality”, as if these things had already been guaranteed in 1776.
I dislike this view. It reflects a blissful ignorance towards the millions of Americans that struggle to procure even ten dollars for food, let alone spend hundreds to blithely remark on America’s supposed egalitarianism.
On the other hand, there is a group so deeply entrenched in pessimism that there is simply no room for celebration. My favorite example is this headline from CNN: “Biden’s Fourth of July celebrations clouded by a gnawing concern over the Delta variant of Covid-19”. Not only does it connect two unrelated events, but does so in the gloomiest way possible. I truly have to wonder which poor soul is busy writing this on a Sunday morning instead of enjoying themselves like everyone else.
Between these two extremes lies a method of acknowledging America’s history while drawing optimism from it. It is an idealistic and possibly naive view, but one that I myself (and many others) desperately need.
Keeping up with politics can be exhausting. The doom-and-gloom style of reporting that media outlets are so fond of isn’t designed so that you can consume twenty articles a day while staying sane. It is, however, excellent at inspiring people to take action.
Political activism is what prevents me from spiraling into despair every time I read the news. Even if the world is deeply flawed, the idea that our actions can improve it is enough to keep many of us going. This relentless optimism exists even in the most cynical of us because the idea that we are powerless is simply unbearable.
I think we all realized this during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of hours of extra free time meant we could keep up with current events better, but an inability to connect with others made enacting change much more difficult. Before I began blogging I took a long break from reading the news, because it was either that or spend hours doomscrolling.
There’s a lesson to be taught here about managing political involvement in a healthy way, but it would only lengthen this tangent. My point is that there will be some time in your life, probably multiple times, where you care deeply about an issue but feel powerless in changing it.
America’s institutions can be brutally oppressive, and I am often left wondering whether or not our politics are fundamentally broken. In the days leading up to Derek Chauvin’s trial, the realization of how much America needed to grow was staggering. The fact that I was nervous over whether or not a police officer who murdered a man in broad daylight would be brought to justice made me question whether or not systemic reforms would ever be possible.
It’s at those moments that I like to celebrate America’s independence. Not as a story of American patriotism or strength, but as a reminder that our history is filled with people operating off craziness and a dream. It bears remembering that America’s Founding Fathers willingly went to war with the greatest empire history has ever seen. Realize that so many of the reforms we take for granted today were built off the backs of ordinary people, many of them facing insurmountable odds. Every time America celebrates her birthday, I look at not just how far we have to go, but also how far we’ve come. I would implore you to do the same.
This isn’t meant to be some inspirational “you can do anything” BS, because that isn’t true. There will absolutely be failures. But you are in no position to judge the consequences of your actions, and there’s no telling how they will be interpreted in a couple of decades. Instead, let the knowledge that you’re doing something be enough.
Chances are you won’t be reading this on July 4th. That’s fine. How you celebrate Independence Day or any other holiday isn’t important. It’s also normal to feel hopeless at times. All I ask is that you spend one day, any day, indulging in some optimism, even if you don’t really believe in it. It reminds us of where we come from and helps break away from the cynicism that worms its way into our lives.
