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Top Comments: Independence Day Eve Edition [1]

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Date: 2023-07-03

When I looked back at my posting history, I haven’t written ON July 4th often (Only twice, in 2022 and 2013). But due to the regular nature of how we here at Top Comments write, I’ve penned a number of them in the days leading up to or just after Independence Day. I didn’t want to wholesale rerun a prior diary but as I read through twelve years of Early July diaries, I found a number of links I’d like to re-share for folks who may not have seen them.

But first… I know that for some of us, July 4th is the same every year. Whether it’s “I’m always working that day” to “My family has traditions that are the same every year since anyone can remember” and “We go to the parade then have a BBQ then go watch fireworks”, you know what to expect each year (2020-2022 notwithstanding because really, nothing was or should have been The Same).

Casa Brillig doesn’t have a regular tradition. Years ago we used to go into Boston and spend the day on the banks of the Charles River or on the top of the Museum of Science parking lot waiting for fireworks. For a couple of years we vacationed with (now-former) friends in Arkansas. We’ve been to local parades and fireworks, and had BBQs with our family of choice in the backyard.

This year is no different in being different :). For the first time, K1 will be waking up in her own place and not our house (last summer she came home for July 4th then returned to Rochester for a last month before coming home permanently). K2 just celebrated his 18th birthday and so while we THINK he’ll be with us for the day, he also may be with friends. And given we are going to be doing intensive peopling next week (more on that at the end), we decided that spending the day relaxing, smoking some ribs and having just family for food before all watching the Boston Pops concert and then fireworks on TV sounded just delightful.

Back when the kids were … well, KIDS, every July 4th I’d have us read the Declaration of Independence and think about what it meant then, and now. That’s unlikely to happen this year :). But what I will be doing tomorrow morning (while enjoying coffee and doing a Rescue Ranger shift) is listening to the following three pieces I’ve linked to in the past:

1. In my July 5 2021 diary I linked to NPR’s annual reading by their on-air personalities. I encourage you to check out that link (ten minutes of listening time) where in addition to the reading is a great segment that includes this statement I wholeheartedly cosign:

The declaration is a document with flaws and deeply ingrained hypocrisies. It also laid the foundation for our collective aspirations, our hopes for what America could be.

2. Last year, NPR declined to continue that tradition, instead offering a segment on “What Does Equality Mean”. It’s eleven minutes long and even more so this year deserves attention.

3. Lastly, I also shared in 2021 (but I see the link was updated last year) a video of the descendants of Frederick Douglass read excerpts of his "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" speech. It’s powerful, and worth every second of its seven minutes. If you’d like to read the entire speech, it can be found here.

So there you have approximately half an hour of material appropriate for the day. There are far too many in this country who cover themselves (often literally) in patriotism and the flag. And yet I suspect virtually NONE of them have actually read the Declaration of Independence and understood its intent. I am ABSOLUTELY sure none of them even know that Frederick Douglass’ speech exists.

What are you up to tomorrow? I’d love to hear about it in the comments! After you peruse tonight’s Tops, of course!!

NOTE: I will not be here next week — airline willing, I will be checked into my hotel in Chicago and meeting up with many friends at Netroots Nation. I don’t know if there will be a substitute diarist, but as always, if we don’t publish on a given night all Tops will be in the next edition of Top Comments. If you’re going to be at NN23, please let me know so we can meet up!!

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[1] Url: https://dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/3/2179154/-Top-Comments-Independence-Day-Eve-Edition

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