How to Celebrate Independence Day?

As America celebrates Independence Day, the holiday has succumbed to the efforts to politicize everything. The difference in framing between the left and right is radical.

Summary

As America celebrates Independence Day, there are many aspects of the holiday being considered in news media:

• At the annual July 4^th celebration on Capitol Hill, Vanessa Williams will be singing a pre-recorded rendition of the “Black national anthem.”
• The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning about the possibility of “suspected violent extremists” “planning to attend a large public gathering” in Washington.
• Fox Business and CNN reported on what stores and institutions will be open for Independence Day. 
• Many outlets, including local PBS stations, provided warnings to pet owners who should be cautious about fireworks with their furry friends. 
• Finally, it’s been 25 years since the blockbuster hit Independence Day was released, with Variety providing behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the movie’s success.

• The New York Times wrote about the American flag’s status as a symbol of unity, and framed flying the American flag as a silent avatar for supporting Trump. 
• CNN scolded the use of fireworks in July Fourth celebrations, saying it triggers PTSD among victims of gun violence. 
• The Atlantic provided a “how-to” guide for dealing with “awkwardness” of in-person July 4^th gatherings as the coronavirus pandemic has largely subsided.

• Breitbart took The New York Times to task for having “politicized the American flag.” 
• Fox News took readers on a virtual tour of the National Mall’s newest monument, the Eisenhower Memorial to be enjoyed on the holiday weekend. 
• RedState jokingly grilled Business Insider’s Josh Barro for his scathing dismissal of using grills for cooking food, rebutting his arguments point by point, including how to properly care for a grill.
• Noah Rothman of Commentary Magazine departed from his typically analytical and professorial nature, offering a blistering rebuke of leftists and progressives for attempting to paint the Declaration of Independence as a tool of white supremacy.

Author’s Take

Take the time to read the Declaration of Independence this weekend. Contemplate what it says, what it means, and whether America is living up to its promise. I believe it is. It is difficult to fathom that there was a time in human history in which the idea that humans are born free, that humans have rights as individuals given to them by God, and that government both must protect those rights AND are not allowed to infringe upon them was a radical, paradigm-shifting concept.

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© Dallas Gerber, 2021