Independence Day

A Few Reflections on the Past, Present, and Future

Photo by Serena Repice Lentini on Unsplash

Looking to the Past

Independence Day is naturally a day in which we look to the past. We are celebrating an action that occurred in our nation's history and reflecting on that action's significance for our present day.

Or at least we should be. And to be honest, Independence Day is probably one of those days that most people understand, at least superficially (unlike Memorial Day, which few Americans understand at all).

Americans know that a war was fought to free the colonies from British rule. As with all history, there has probably been a fair dose of exaggeration and propaganda that has become part of the American telling of the story. This happens with any significant event in history and should not be that surprising.

Looking to the Present

I mention the exaggerations that have become part of our perspective of the country’s history because they make our current position that much harder to believe. How have we, a nation forged of battle, freely given up our own freedoms?

If you have ever asked yourself what you would have done at the time of the War for Independence (or at any other time of tyranny), you have the answer. You now know exactly what you would have done. The last three and a half years have painted a clear picture as to what we all would have done. In the mid-1770s, had you lived then, you would have done exactly what you did in the early 2020s when faced with tyranny. After all, we faced more widespread tyranny, abuse, and oppression over the last three years than the British ever implemented onto the colonists. The British did some terrible things, but nothing coming close to the scope of the covid op.

If you fought for freedom over the past three years, then that’s what you probably would have done in the mid-1770s. If you cowered in fear over the past three years and did whatever your overlords told you, then you would likely have done exactly that two and a half centuries ago as well. If you looked for others to fight your battles over the last three years, then you would almost certainly have done just that back in the Revolutionary days as well.

The truth is that most people will lick the boots of their oppressors rather than stand up to them. Some even join the oppressors. Resistance sure looks cool in the movies, but in real life it’s hard. It’s also dangerous.

Too hard and too dangerous for most people.

There are all types of recreational activities that people pursue on the 4th. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the day. After all, Independence Day is to be celebrated in a joyous way. The spirit of the day is much different than the aforementioned Memorial Day whose commemorative spirit is much more solemn. Plenty of people will be raucous and boisterous this July 4th, behaving in a way indicative of how the English saw the colonists, interestingly enough. After all, Americans were considered to be rebellious in spirit.

So where has that rebellious spirit gone?

Looking to the Future

We better enjoy this July 4th. We don’t know how many more years of “freedom” we have left. They have already largely stolen bodily autonomy. Our money is fake. Our medicine is poison. Our food is poison. The air largely is as well. Most of the government is comprised of traitors or cowards. Same thing with the military. It’s becoming hard to tell the difference between enemies abroad and enemies here (because they’re all likely controlled by the same central bankers anyway).

If things continue the way they’re going, the little bit of freedom we still have will be gone. We seem to be on the precipice and too few people seem to be bothered enough by our current trajectory. By all means, enjoy burgers and fireworks. Wear your America-themed shirts and display your flags. But don’t pretend to be an American tough guy today if you spent the last three years either licking the boots of your oppressors or becoming one of the oppressors.

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