I stayed away from fireworks and parties this year.
The Forth of July is supposed to be a celebration of the country we were able to build together after winning our freedom and sovereignty from an oppressive foreign power. More so than even the last two years, I find it hard to stomach the thought of celebrating a country controlled by plutocrats who actively undermine our representative democracy at every turn.
I imagine future generations will celebrate a different Independence Day, one marking the date that we wrested back control of our liberty and our country from these financial oppressors. I both hope they do because I want to win that battle, and hope they don’t because it would be so much easier for everyone to just exercise some common fucking sense and empathy.
Maybe you too were preoccupied yesterday with the thought of humans being stripped of their freedoms, separated from their loved ones, and thrown into cages this Independence Day simply because they crossed an imaginary line with the wrong color skin. If you also seethed and cried while imagining these humans watching such a celebration from concentration camps, I have good news!
You don’t have to imagine such a scenario, because our country already did this once! (Although with a little less frequent blatant cruelty and human rights violations, by most accounts.) You can simply read accounts from those who spent the Forth of July in Japanese Internment Camps.
At some point, we have to realize that dehumanization is wrong, regardless of the cost. People willing to deny humanity to others are demonstrating that they are not deserving of their own.
