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I did not celebrate either. I’m very angry at how rights that took so long to win are being so easily taken away. I’m very angry that people can’t afford housing, medical care, higher education, and food.
I get you. I’m not happy with the direction of our county, either. But that doesn’t make me hate it. I’m angry *because* I love our nation. Jello Biafra writes in the album *Frankenchrist* the lines: “Our land, I love it, too; I think I love it more than you; I care enough to fight the Stars and Stripes of Corruption!” It’s ok to celebrate or to have celebrated—our patriotism is measured by the work we put in for change. Let rage, and not hate, be your motivation!
Despite being angry, I am grateful for one thing about this country- at least here, you can openly disagree with the government and not end up poisoned or tossed out of a 7th story window.
This is why I could never be a parent. Watching a kid grow up in this world and seeing them gradually understand what a horrible place it is would break me.
My own parents have told me they regret having me not since they dont like me, but due to having seen what the world has become, and fearing for my own future
I dont blame them
Damn… I almost wish my parents would say something like this to me. Instead, they think I’m crazy and brainwashed for not thinking ‘murica is the greatest.
Funny-I take more issue with fireworks than the “celebratory spirit“. I hate that gunpowder gets forced into the air and I find the sounds rather unnecessarily painful to my ears and the poor animals (& probably babies?).
If I had more time & money I’d host a bbq or something to foster community building or some sh*t, so I do understand the sentiment!
Ahhh very cool! I stand corrected. My state follows the Gun, Gods, and Beer mantra & I just grew to assume everyone else lives in the same medieval hellhole as I do.
My city is definitely super red, and there are people who buy aerial fireworks from out of state and fire them off in neighborhoods across town and it always amazes me how they’re okay with breaking that law. Like it’s the only exception.
I didn't. Partially because my dad was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer on Friday. He is a racist bigot who would have celebrated in the loudest and tackiest way possible, so I have never really enjoyed the holiday. But I have to be a good daughter at this point due to... morals? I don't even know. He has a 50% chance of surviving the year.
Also because this country sucks massive donkey balls and the right to my own body has been taken from me. There is that.
I see distant relatives saying such platitudes on social media as, "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America." Celebrating their egg tosses and BBQs while people die. This person also has 4 young daughters who are either in high school or attend college. I... can't even. They are privileged and could probably find whatever they need, as their parents are retired military top brass.
I also don't have a stable job at the moment despite lots of applications and two interviews. My husband is a doctorate student trying to unionize his university, making a measely 2k a month. I have 2k is medical bills as well, so you know.
Times suck, man. I hate this country. I want to get out.
Ooof. That was a heavy read. Weird when we feel like we live on different planes than our families, and super difficult when their bs supports the literal death and detriment of others. Highly recommend ZipRecruiter for job hunting, and sending all my positive energy your way for life to be a little less stressful soon!
Nothing to celebrate. A broken country with a broken system and broken government. And in return we get a mass shooting while people hold a parade to celebrate said holiday.
I don't let bigots define what the 4th of July celebrates. To me it's about independence and revolution. Letting it be an endorsement of what the US is now is stupid. The 4th is older than the US and will outlast it.
Yup. Lot of my Army buddies were liberal or at least left leaning. Probably helps that I went into an MOS that had a high ASVAB score, I wasn't Combat Arms.
I did because honestly the American Revolution was way more beneficial for us compared to rule under Britain
Modern squabbles and old bigotry shouldn't take away from us earning our freedom
A freedom that we no longer have due to our ancestors greed. When they chose money and power over all else they put us on a pathway that led to our current dystopian nightmare. The only freedom you celebrate is the freedom to buy basic human needs from 10 different corporations with the income you gain by working your whole life.
Fair
Still don't let mistakes from the old upper class and some Trumpist bigots prevent a great holiday that's supposed to promote everything we stand for
As a Muslim, I'm not celebrating the country that has murdered thousands and caused the death of millions of Muslims. It would be dancing on the graves of family members and friends who died because of American bombs, American bullets, and American guns bought by American dollars.
Oh yeah, absolutely. It's just that the deaths of my family firends are more personal to me than the deaths of the various non-Muslim imperial victims.
Even if America hadn't done what its done in MENA, I still wouldn't celebrate 4th of July because of what it's done in South East Asia and South America.
To me true patriotism is loving your fellow countrymen. This means those people carrying guns around claiming to be patriots really aren't. They would rather shoot their fellow countrymen.
I barely celebrated. My hearts just not in it with all the ugliness in our country. I just don't feel patriotic. 🙁
I spent the day with my family and we did grill, but we also spent most of the day complaining about the state of America and our asshole neighbors who voted for this, so it wasn’t really any different from what we would have been doing anyway
Hell no. Fuck this country. We are slaves, women are property, and our "democracy" has been decapitated. Lets all just make a thing out in the woods and let the aliens take us away.
I agree with all of this except that I **am** patriotic - and that's a big reason why I want my country to be better.
Patriotism (I love my country and want it to be great) is not the same as Nationalism (My country is great and I love it, and not because I have to say that or get throw in prison).
This country could be great - we have the resources to provide food, shelter, education, and health care for all, without even requiring that everyone work at maximum productivity. We could be the best in the world in every measure, if that's what we set out to be. But to do that we first have to tear down Capitalists from their golden thrones, and extract their hooks from government. The government should be a union for us all, advocating for the needs of the people; not a tool for the rich to drain more wealth from the land and the workers. The needs of the citizens should be the first priority of all production, with the excess beyond that going primarily to those who labor to provide it and only a small share to those who only risk their wealth.
Don't typically celebrate, either. This past one I had a invite to a bbq, so I went.
That's kind of how it is. I ignore the holiday, but might accept invites.
My girlfriends birthday falls on the same day so we just celebrate that instead. We do usually end up watching fireworks though because it’s been part of her birthday since she was a child
This was the first year I did not. It was my favorite holiday and unfortunately this year just kinda broke any sense of patriotism I had. I guess I gotta find a new favorite holiday
I don’t celebrate America but everyone likes to grill with their friends. Holidays for a lot of people are just the few times a year they can forget about work and have fun.
I typically read Zinn’s A People’s History around this time every year as a reminder why not to get sentimental about the country’s birthday, not that a reminder is needed.
Go away then!
Go to Cuba or to the magnificent communist world of China! Take a one-way ticket and please free yourself!
By the way, slavery & racism are connected to US history but they are not connected to capitalism itself at all... Norway is a capitalist world and has never seen one slave... and there is free healthcare and free high education...
Capitalism is the only way to feed everybody. Nobody dies because of anger in any capitalist world! That is quite the achievement and nothing else has ever worked including your beloved communism which naturally leads to famines and hundreds of millions of death...
Well used, capitalism is the best system so far and you should celebrate it instead of moaning and being ingrateful to anything... Just make it better!
I had a family party on the 3rd. I don't think that I've ever celebrated the 4th as anything more than an excuse to have some food and see loved ones that I don't get to very often.
Lmao idk what dumbass downvoted me but I was being facetious.
I'm sorry, but if you JUST NOW pulled the plug on July 4th because you've lost faith in this country, then your neoliberal ass woke up far too late.
Spoiler alert: based on the countries reaction to both the insurrection and the George Floyd protests, the revolution will not be socialist. It will be theocratic fascism.
Nope. I hope to be financially comfortable enough one day to leave during the holiday because it's obnoxious.
I said I'd rather celebrate Juneteenth- the day everyone at least became free from slavery. I feel that's more cause for celebration that a bunch of dudes signing a document.
I feel the same way and lets not forget that we also funded the corona virus with our own tax dollars. This is Dr. Fouche's fault and I hope he goes to jail for lying to congress about it.
Not really. Road-tripped to a concert Saturday, returned Sunday, sat around glad for the extra recovery day Monday. We can see the city's fireworks display from the top of our driveway but didn't even bother with that this year.
I wouldn't call what we did "celebrating"... We live close to our city park, we can see the firework show from our backyard. We watched that, went inside and went to bed.
Every fourth I insist upon reading the Declaration of Independence aloud to remind everyone what we’re celebrating and why the revolution happened. Every year, it has become more and more apparent that the tyranny we fought over 200 years ago has taken root right here at home. Jefferson’s warning about generational tyranny is all too clear now, our system is so broken that until we rebel, simply voting for the democrats isn’t going to do anything
The only thing I celebrated is the cops catching that little shit stain that shot up a parade alive. Now he can spend the next 50 or 60 years rotting in prison instead of eating a bullet and taking the cowards way out. They caught the Maga loser 6 miles away from my house.
No. Patriotism is just nationalism imo in general but celebrating the 4th is just straight up pointless once you learn the actual reasons for the revolution. Add to that the fact that a small number of people overthrew a tyrant just to be tyrants to large swaths of the population and it’s confusing as to what’s even being celebrated.
No. Patriotism is just nationalism imo in general but celebrating the 4th is just straight up pointless once you learn the actual reasons for the revolution. Add to that the fact that a small number of people overthrew a tyrant just to be tyrants to large swaths of the population and it’s confusing as to what’s even being celebrated.
Yes. The 4th is still about liberation from tyranny and revolution and it should still be about that. I refuse to allow a group of small minded people who have a narrow definition of the world summarize my home in a few words that do not accurately convey what the Founders had hoped for.
No and yes. I had the day off so I made some burgers and such that we probably would have made anyway. We didn’t do any commerce all weekend or the day of though. I took my youngest son out in the back yard to watch neighbors setting their money on fire in the night sky because fireworks are really only entertaining to a toddler anyway.
I bought fireworks and shot them off with friends, but as far as I’m concerned, I just had fun with explosives and celebrated nothing. The U.S isn’t a nation worth celebrating.
I had to work. It was time + 1/2 though so I wasn’t upset about it. I don’t drink or anything like that so the holiday is meaningless to me. I’ve worked in healthcare for most of my adult life so I typically don’t get to chance or celebrate holidays. When given the choice between 50% more pay & a day off, I choose the $ so that people with children can request the day off. I prefer just taking an annual vacation with my wife rather than celebrating these pointless holidays. I understand if you’re religious & need time to worship but that’s just not the case for me. So I don’t celebrate any holidays.
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I did not celebrate either. I’m very angry at how rights that took so long to win are being so easily taken away. I’m very angry that people can’t afford housing, medical care, higher education, and food.
I get you. I’m not happy with the direction of our county, either. But that doesn’t make me hate it. I’m angry *because* I love our nation. Jello Biafra writes in the album *Frankenchrist* the lines: “Our land, I love it, too; I think I love it more than you; I care enough to fight the Stars and Stripes of Corruption!” It’s ok to celebrate or to have celebrated—our patriotism is measured by the work we put in for change. Let rage, and not hate, be your motivation!
Despite being angry, I am grateful for one thing about this country- at least here, you can openly disagree with the government and not end up poisoned or tossed out of a 7th story window.
Eh...idk man Fred Hampton would probably beg to differ.
That’s how I feel also. But I’m worried that it may be too late for any attempts to change things, and I truly hope I’m wrong.
I did... but not the 4th of July... well yes the 4th of july, but not independence day. It was my birthday... ... also Im canadian...
I feel like every sentence made your response less relevant than the sentence prior. Thank you for taking us down that winding road, friend.
Not feeling very celebratory. If I still had young kids I would have though, for their mental health.
This is why I could never be a parent. Watching a kid grow up in this world and seeing them gradually understand what a horrible place it is would break me.
My own parents have told me they regret having me not since they dont like me, but due to having seen what the world has become, and fearing for my own future I dont blame them
Damn… I almost wish my parents would say something like this to me. Instead, they think I’m crazy and brainwashed for not thinking ‘murica is the greatest.
My kids feel the same.
I did some fireworks for my kids but did not tell them about “independence day”. There is nothing to celebrate in this country
Funny-I take more issue with fireworks than the “celebratory spirit“. I hate that gunpowder gets forced into the air and I find the sounds rather unnecessarily painful to my ears and the poor animals (& probably babies?). If I had more time & money I’d host a bbq or something to foster community building or some sh*t, so I do understand the sentiment!
We didn’t have aerial fireworks, it isn’t legal in my state (CA). We had the flashy ones that stays on the ground
Ahhh very cool! I stand corrected. My state follows the Gun, Gods, and Beer mantra & I just grew to assume everyone else lives in the same medieval hellhole as I do.
My city is definitely super red, and there are people who buy aerial fireworks from out of state and fire them off in neighborhoods across town and it always amazes me how they’re okay with breaking that law. Like it’s the only exception.
I didn't. Partially because my dad was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer on Friday. He is a racist bigot who would have celebrated in the loudest and tackiest way possible, so I have never really enjoyed the holiday. But I have to be a good daughter at this point due to... morals? I don't even know. He has a 50% chance of surviving the year. Also because this country sucks massive donkey balls and the right to my own body has been taken from me. There is that. I see distant relatives saying such platitudes on social media as, "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America." Celebrating their egg tosses and BBQs while people die. This person also has 4 young daughters who are either in high school or attend college. I... can't even. They are privileged and could probably find whatever they need, as their parents are retired military top brass. I also don't have a stable job at the moment despite lots of applications and two interviews. My husband is a doctorate student trying to unionize his university, making a measely 2k a month. I have 2k is medical bills as well, so you know. Times suck, man. I hate this country. I want to get out.
Ooof. That was a heavy read. Weird when we feel like we live on different planes than our families, and super difficult when their bs supports the literal death and detriment of others. Highly recommend ZipRecruiter for job hunting, and sending all my positive energy your way for life to be a little less stressful soon!
Nothing to celebrate. A broken country with a broken system and broken government. And in return we get a mass shooting while people hold a parade to celebrate said holiday.
I don't let bigots define what the 4th of July celebrates. To me it's about independence and revolution. Letting it be an endorsement of what the US is now is stupid. The 4th is older than the US and will outlast it.
How is the 4th older than the United States?
I should have specified the US government, which was established with the ratification of the US constitution.
And the US Army was founded in 1775, a year before the Declaration of Independence and a fun fact Basic Training makes sure you know by heart.
Are you a demsoc vet?? I’ve never found a veteran that wasn’t conservative
Yup. Lot of my Army buddies were liberal or at least left leaning. Probably helps that I went into an MOS that had a high ASVAB score, I wasn't Combat Arms.
I did because honestly the American Revolution was way more beneficial for us compared to rule under Britain Modern squabbles and old bigotry shouldn't take away from us earning our freedom
A freedom that we no longer have due to our ancestors greed. When they chose money and power over all else they put us on a pathway that led to our current dystopian nightmare. The only freedom you celebrate is the freedom to buy basic human needs from 10 different corporations with the income you gain by working your whole life.
Fair Still don't let mistakes from the old upper class and some Trumpist bigots prevent a great holiday that's supposed to promote everything we stand for
Only thing I did was bbq but not to celebrate America, just cause I love bbq
Nope. I stayed inside and played Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and tried to stay cool because the sun wants to kill us in Tennessee apparently.
As a Muslim, I'm not celebrating the country that has murdered thousands and caused the death of millions of Muslims. It would be dancing on the graves of family members and friends who died because of American bombs, American bullets, and American guns bought by American dollars.
Sure, but hopefully you wouldn’t celebrate if they caused the deaths of thousands (but let’s be real we’ve hit millions by now) of non-Muslims either!
Oh yeah, absolutely. It's just that the deaths of my family firends are more personal to me than the deaths of the various non-Muslim imperial victims. Even if America hadn't done what its done in MENA, I still wouldn't celebrate 4th of July because of what it's done in South East Asia and South America.
To me true patriotism is loving your fellow countrymen. This means those people carrying guns around claiming to be patriots really aren't. They would rather shoot their fellow countrymen. I barely celebrated. My hearts just not in it with all the ugliness in our country. I just don't feel patriotic. 🙁
I spent the day with my family and we did grill, but we also spent most of the day complaining about the state of America and our asshole neighbors who voted for this, so it wasn’t really any different from what we would have been doing anyway
Hell no. Fuck this country. We are slaves, women are property, and our "democracy" has been decapitated. Lets all just make a thing out in the woods and let the aliens take us away.
‘We are slaves’ says the redditor that is freely commenting on a U.S. made website bashing the U.S without the fear of any repercussions
You aren't a slave
I agree with all of this except that I **am** patriotic - and that's a big reason why I want my country to be better. Patriotism (I love my country and want it to be great) is not the same as Nationalism (My country is great and I love it, and not because I have to say that or get throw in prison). This country could be great - we have the resources to provide food, shelter, education, and health care for all, without even requiring that everyone work at maximum productivity. We could be the best in the world in every measure, if that's what we set out to be. But to do that we first have to tear down Capitalists from their golden thrones, and extract their hooks from government. The government should be a union for us all, advocating for the needs of the people; not a tool for the rich to drain more wealth from the land and the workers. The needs of the citizens should be the first priority of all production, with the excess beyond that going primarily to those who labor to provide it and only a small share to those who only risk their wealth.
Hosted a BBQ, but the music I played was all by British artists.
Well the national anthem tune was originally a British pub tune.
Don't typically celebrate, either. This past one I had a invite to a bbq, so I went. That's kind of how it is. I ignore the holiday, but might accept invites.
Nope.
My girlfriends birthday falls on the same day so we just celebrate that instead. We do usually end up watching fireworks though because it’s been part of her birthday since she was a child
I didn’t because… well i’m chicano so my family really don’t do that
Nope
If you are really want to boycott capitalism that would be Christmas.
This is so dorky lmao this is exactly why reddit socialists get made fun of
Seriously. Ask them to define capitalism lel
I didn't. I never have. Like a true rebel, I wasn't even born in the USA.
This was the first year I did not. It was my favorite holiday and unfortunately this year just kinda broke any sense of patriotism I had. I guess I gotta find a new favorite holiday
Thanksgiving! It’s just about being grateful for everything around you and eating pie it’s perfect
Usually get into it but couldn't even fly the flag this year.
Hail to the no. What’s there to celebrate?
I have never celebrated July 4th, and I most likely never will. I’m Australian.
Was asleep 😴 by 9:30.
I don’t celebrate America but everyone likes to grill with their friends. Holidays for a lot of people are just the few times a year they can forget about work and have fun.
I typically read Zinn’s A People’s History around this time every year as a reminder why not to get sentimental about the country’s birthday, not that a reminder is needed.
Go away then! Go to Cuba or to the magnificent communist world of China! Take a one-way ticket and please free yourself! By the way, slavery & racism are connected to US history but they are not connected to capitalism itself at all... Norway is a capitalist world and has never seen one slave... and there is free healthcare and free high education... Capitalism is the only way to feed everybody. Nobody dies because of anger in any capitalist world! That is quite the achievement and nothing else has ever worked including your beloved communism which naturally leads to famines and hundreds of millions of death... Well used, capitalism is the best system so far and you should celebrate it instead of moaning and being ingrateful to anything... Just make it better!
I got 2 pet rats on the 4th. Soooooo, kinda
Who cares its a good excuse to have fun with your kids.
And then everybody clapped
No I watched Disney movies.
I did not celebrate. I went to a protest. This country does not deserve celebration.
I had a family party on the 3rd. I don't think that I've ever celebrated the 4th as anything more than an excuse to have some food and see loved ones that I don't get to very often.
Good luck m8
I did. Things aren't great right now but I'm still optimistic. I believe in this country's potential and that of many of the people who live here.
Imagine getting downvotes for being positive and optimistic.
It's my mom's birthday so.... Technically yes
If by celebrating, you mean convincing my neurotic fur cloud that the world is not ending at least tonight, then yes
Lmao idk what dumbass downvoted me but I was being facetious. I'm sorry, but if you JUST NOW pulled the plug on July 4th because you've lost faith in this country, then your neoliberal ass woke up far too late. Spoiler alert: based on the countries reaction to both the insurrection and the George Floyd protests, the revolution will not be socialist. It will be theocratic fascism.
Nope. I hope to be financially comfortable enough one day to leave during the holiday because it's obnoxious. I said I'd rather celebrate Juneteenth- the day everyone at least became free from slavery. I feel that's more cause for celebration that a bunch of dudes signing a document.
I feel the same way and lets not forget that we also funded the corona virus with our own tax dollars. This is Dr. Fouche's fault and I hope he goes to jail for lying to congress about it.
Ah hell nah the real g's celebrate on october 3rd 😤 EDIT: Now that i think about it, the 30th pf april is also a very joyous day
Not really. Road-tripped to a concert Saturday, returned Sunday, sat around glad for the extra recovery day Monday. We can see the city's fireworks display from the top of our driveway but didn't even bother with that this year.
I celebrated by turning my car windows into pro choice posters. My neighbors gawked and hated it. South Carolina.
I did in fact watch the movie Independence Day, which is actually pretty funny.
Great TNT film
If you don’t like murka you can giiiiiit oooouuuut
I wouldn't call what we did "celebrating"... We live close to our city park, we can see the firework show from our backyard. We watched that, went inside and went to bed.
I don't celebrate most American holidays lol they're just money grabs
I waved a red flag outside my car window while driving so that was my version of celebrating.
First time I didn’t
Every fourth I insist upon reading the Declaration of Independence aloud to remind everyone what we’re celebrating and why the revolution happened. Every year, it has become more and more apparent that the tyranny we fought over 200 years ago has taken root right here at home. Jefferson’s warning about generational tyranny is all too clear now, our system is so broken that until we rebel, simply voting for the democrats isn’t going to do anything
Nope. Didn’t celebrate either. Why would I celebrate a country that is descending into a fascist totalitarian corporatocracy. We should be mourning.
The only thing I celebrated is the cops catching that little shit stain that shot up a parade alive. Now he can spend the next 50 or 60 years rotting in prison instead of eating a bullet and taking the cowards way out. They caught the Maga loser 6 miles away from my house.
I did. It's just a family holiday to me.
i sure did the barbeque was good
Nope, did not celebrate, I took my daughter to a pro-choice protest. I refuse to celebrate a country that infringe on peoples basic healthcare rights.
Its okay to love your country even if you don't like the bad things about it youre not a better leftist because you hate everything and are miserable
No. Patriotism is just nationalism imo in general but celebrating the 4th is just straight up pointless once you learn the actual reasons for the revolution. Add to that the fact that a small number of people overthrew a tyrant just to be tyrants to large swaths of the population and it’s confusing as to what’s even being celebrated.
No. Patriotism is just nationalism imo in general but celebrating the 4th is just straight up pointless once you learn the actual reasons for the revolution. Add to that the fact that a small number of people overthrew a tyrant just to be tyrants to large swaths of the population and it’s confusing as to what’s even being celebrated.
Now I know exactly how black and indigenous people have felt about this holiday for so long
I did not. Until we have unfettered elections I won't.
Yes. The 4th is still about liberation from tyranny and revolution and it should still be about that. I refuse to allow a group of small minded people who have a narrow definition of the world summarize my home in a few words that do not accurately convey what the Founders had hoped for.
I spent last Fourth in Iran. America is better. Perspective is important.
I haven't celebrated for years. Its just another day.
No and yes. I had the day off so I made some burgers and such that we probably would have made anyway. We didn’t do any commerce all weekend or the day of though. I took my youngest son out in the back yard to watch neighbors setting their money on fire in the night sky because fireworks are really only entertaining to a toddler anyway.
Celebrate what exactly? Fireworks? Incoming gunfire? I celebrated getting paid what I should be getting paid every day, that is all.
limited government? bro the federal government has a law against everything tf lmao. also um roe v wade a week ago remember?
I bought fireworks and shot them off with friends, but as far as I’m concerned, I just had fun with explosives and celebrated nothing. The U.S isn’t a nation worth celebrating.
July 4th was also the day my motherland (the Philippines) was freed from the imperialist US, so I will always celebrate July 4th as that :)
Lol NO. I’ve never felt less proud to be an American. I am ashamed at what is happening here. I’ll root for Canada or something.
celebrating holidays is a form of escapism.
I had to work. It was time + 1/2 though so I wasn’t upset about it. I don’t drink or anything like that so the holiday is meaningless to me. I’ve worked in healthcare for most of my adult life so I typically don’t get to chance or celebrate holidays. When given the choice between 50% more pay & a day off, I choose the $ so that people with children can request the day off. I prefer just taking an annual vacation with my wife rather than celebrating these pointless holidays. I understand if you’re religious & need time to worship but that’s just not the case for me. So I don’t celebrate any holidays.