Days before the 4th some people in town suggested that we take the politics out of our parade. Others warned people to stay away, saying it was going to be “like LA”. We too woke up to a beautiful morning. The park that serves as a staging area for the parade filled up early with participating units and individuals securing their spots in the procession. Up front was the banner with the parade’s motto, “This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land”. There were high school cheer groups, dance school classes, kids led by their Sensei doing martial arts demonstrations, evangelical groups, the guy that always dresses up like Uncle Sam, politicians. There was a large “No Kings” unit, a large “Indivisible” unit. Individuals waving our flag wearing “Is he dead yet?” T-shirts. There was a banner saying, “Justice for All” followed by a fifteen foot tall Statue of Liberty puppet. There was a large banner with a statement warning of fascism followed by another large banner with the same statement, in Spanish. The crowd of thousands along the parade route, with as many brown faces as white faces, cheered for all of this. We don’t have to cede Independence Day to the prick in the White House and his cult. A tree fell in our town and thousands heard it loud and clear.
My 4th of July was spent doing a tougher, hot climb up a mountain and enjoying the breeze and view from the top, while watching a hawk fly overhead. No parades. No fireworks. It was a reminder that if I push myself to do difficult things, then at the end there might be something beautiful. And somewhere in there maybe I can find a lesson for these times for our country.
The no shopping at big box or internet moguls websites is never a challenge for me. But, then again, I don't have many needs outside of food. For those that have children and plans for the 4th picnics/bbqs, it could be very challenging. I did attend the Middlesex Indivisible Visibility brigade event at the Rt 9 Silver street overpass. There were a little over 50 people who attended = but it had a big impact. I sewed yellow 8647 onto an American Flag banner (not the real deal). I am not looking for a pat on the back - I am grateful for these folks who organized it. They felt the turnout very much exceeded their expectations. They meet every Saturday at the intersection of Rt66 and Main - on all 4 corners. I told them that I may join them at some point, but I have to maintain my mental health, and I will attend larger events and donate to ACLU, AARP and the Contrarian. I just can't make this my life's mission. I am retired and I am entitled to spending my last years enjoying myself.
Parades, fireworks, flag waving.....what for?!? I despise it all! While the freed insurrectionists are enjoying their BBQ's many innocents have been swept up by the brown shirt brigade. On the international front Ukraine is suffering increased attacks by Putin and Bibi continues his onslaught in Gaza. Yeah, let's throw a parade and light off some M-80s!
There’s a guy who sells fireworks out of his truck on the back roads coming back from the beach in Rhode Island. The name on the side of his truck is “ Three Fingers Eddie”.
I'm so glad you, your house, and yard were protected (& helped), despite the storm around you.
To your point, it's horrible to see people targeted and then see people not care because they feel protected. They are not the kind of people I wish to associate with or to be in control. It's also awful to have such limited power to stop their horrible acts. As things are now, it's surely only a matter of time before nearly all of us feel the negative effects. I don't see any reversal of the GOP until their base starts to feel the pain from their bad policy. In the meantime, a lot of people are at risk. It's as if a major hemorrhage is about to start and all I have is a tiny bandaid. God help us help us. 🙏
Glad you were spared damage to your home and retained electricity. Hoping everyone who was affected recovers quickly. Yesterday was interesting from a celebration standpoint in my area. We live in a cluster of towns, one ends and you are in the next one. No break other than the signs that state “now entering.” The largest town had their parade from 9-10 am and that was it. Normally there are fireworks all evening in each town and we can see and hear them as they begin, end, and overlap - but last night - nothing. Plus throughout the evening individual residents shoot a few fireworks. Last night - nothing. Normally long into the night there booms and bangs. I read until 1:00 am - dead silence. I think a lot of couldn’t find it possible to celebrate in this godawful time period.
We were commenting on the lack of fireworks last night. There's a neighbor up the street who usually lights up the sky but not this year. Even those little dog-frightener ones were missing.
Under the theme, "I love my country but what precisely am I celebrating this year?" Would add our leaders destruction of international law. We'll I would.
Personally, I rather enjoyed the lack of fireworks. It plays such havoc with the dogs in my life. Quiet day with family, 5 dogs in the pool chasing balls and a cookout. No mention of the holiday, just a nice get together until the storm arrived. But we were safely home by then and it didn’t last long. Glad you didn’t have damage or lose power.
We share the same response to the thunderstorm and the politics of overwhelmingly white and "it's safe-to-be-liberal" CT towns. AND we both know that it's more complicated than that
So glad to hear you and your neighbors survived the storm with such little damage. If only the same could be said for all in our country going through this storm of the diapered felon who rapes & laughs along with his gang of thieving oligarchs.
My sweet mini schnauzer (a puppy mill rescue and my service dog)walked in two public parks. At Gay City State park we enjoyed watching a diversity of folks fishing, kids splashing about the pond. All through the smells of grilling lunches under a blue summer sky. A quiet calming celebration for our two souls.
Days before the 4th some people in town suggested that we take the politics out of our parade. Others warned people to stay away, saying it was going to be “like LA”. We too woke up to a beautiful morning. The park that serves as a staging area for the parade filled up early with participating units and individuals securing their spots in the procession. Up front was the banner with the parade’s motto, “This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land”. There were high school cheer groups, dance school classes, kids led by their Sensei doing martial arts demonstrations, evangelical groups, the guy that always dresses up like Uncle Sam, politicians. There was a large “No Kings” unit, a large “Indivisible” unit. Individuals waving our flag wearing “Is he dead yet?” T-shirts. There was a banner saying, “Justice for All” followed by a fifteen foot tall Statue of Liberty puppet. There was a large banner with a statement warning of fascism followed by another large banner with the same statement, in Spanish. The crowd of thousands along the parade route, with as many brown faces as white faces, cheered for all of this. We don’t have to cede Independence Day to the prick in the White House and his cult. A tree fell in our town and thousands heard it loud and clear.
Amen.
My 4th of July was spent doing a tougher, hot climb up a mountain and enjoying the breeze and view from the top, while watching a hawk fly overhead. No parades. No fireworks. It was a reminder that if I push myself to do difficult things, then at the end there might be something beautiful. And somewhere in there maybe I can find a lesson for these times for our country.
That’s a beautiful metaphor.
The no shopping at big box or internet moguls websites is never a challenge for me. But, then again, I don't have many needs outside of food. For those that have children and plans for the 4th picnics/bbqs, it could be very challenging. I did attend the Middlesex Indivisible Visibility brigade event at the Rt 9 Silver street overpass. There were a little over 50 people who attended = but it had a big impact. I sewed yellow 8647 onto an American Flag banner (not the real deal). I am not looking for a pat on the back - I am grateful for these folks who organized it. They felt the turnout very much exceeded their expectations. They meet every Saturday at the intersection of Rt66 and Main - on all 4 corners. I told them that I may join them at some point, but I have to maintain my mental health, and I will attend larger events and donate to ACLU, AARP and the Contrarian. I just can't make this my life's mission. I am retired and I am entitled to spending my last years enjoying myself.
We all do what we can. And that will be OK.
Parades, fireworks, flag waving.....what for?!? I despise it all! While the freed insurrectionists are enjoying their BBQ's many innocents have been swept up by the brown shirt brigade. On the international front Ukraine is suffering increased attacks by Putin and Bibi continues his onslaught in Gaza. Yeah, let's throw a parade and light off some M-80s!
Ah, M-80s. Those were the big guns when I was growing up and we were all blowing our thumbs off on the 4th.
oh and let's not forget good old cherry bombs...
Those could blow up a school toilet. Or was that an M-80? It’s been a long time.
Cherry bombs in Southern Illinois.
There’s a guy who sells fireworks out of his truck on the back roads coming back from the beach in Rhode Island. The name on the side of his truck is “ Three Fingers Eddie”.
I love that. I worked a cousin’s firecracker stand in Joplin once and one of the other employees was
testing the merch and blew off his thumb. Bled like a stuck pig.
Thank you for this
I'm so glad you, your house, and yard were protected (& helped), despite the storm around you.
To your point, it's horrible to see people targeted and then see people not care because they feel protected. They are not the kind of people I wish to associate with or to be in control. It's also awful to have such limited power to stop their horrible acts. As things are now, it's surely only a matter of time before nearly all of us feel the negative effects. I don't see any reversal of the GOP until their base starts to feel the pain from their bad policy. In the meantime, a lot of people are at risk. It's as if a major hemorrhage is about to start and all I have is a tiny bandaid. God help us help us. 🙏
Glad you were spared damage to your home and retained electricity. Hoping everyone who was affected recovers quickly. Yesterday was interesting from a celebration standpoint in my area. We live in a cluster of towns, one ends and you are in the next one. No break other than the signs that state “now entering.” The largest town had their parade from 9-10 am and that was it. Normally there are fireworks all evening in each town and we can see and hear them as they begin, end, and overlap - but last night - nothing. Plus throughout the evening individual residents shoot a few fireworks. Last night - nothing. Normally long into the night there booms and bangs. I read until 1:00 am - dead silence. I think a lot of couldn’t find it possible to celebrate in this godawful time period.
We were commenting on the lack of fireworks last night. There's a neighbor up the street who usually lights up the sky but not this year. Even those little dog-frightener ones were missing.
Under the theme, "I love my country but what precisely am I celebrating this year?" Would add our leaders destruction of international law. We'll I would.
That's an excellent addition. I'm working on something longer and will add that.
That gives a veteran, following what now us a difficult holiday, some hope and a nice feeling.
Clarification, Veteran For Peace that is.
https://www.veteransforpeace.org/pressroom/news/2025/06/13/veterans-condemn-israels-us-backed-attack-iran-and-deploymen
Personally, I rather enjoyed the lack of fireworks. It plays such havoc with the dogs in my life. Quiet day with family, 5 dogs in the pool chasing balls and a cookout. No mention of the holiday, just a nice get together until the storm arrived. But we were safely home by then and it didn’t last long. Glad you didn’t have damage or lose power.
We really lucked out, I think.
Great post.
Thank you. You’re too kind.
Poetry.
Aw. Thank you.
We share the same response to the thunderstorm and the politics of overwhelmingly white and "it's safe-to-be-liberal" CT towns. AND we both know that it's more complicated than that
We agree. How do you think it’s more complicated?
Great message, Susan...thank you.
So glad to hear you and your neighbors survived the storm with such little damage. If only the same could be said for all in our country going through this storm of the diapered felon who rapes & laughs along with his gang of thieving oligarchs.
My sweet mini schnauzer (a puppy mill rescue and my service dog)walked in two public parks. At Gay City State park we enjoyed watching a diversity of folks fishing, kids splashing about the pond. All through the smells of grilling lunches under a blue summer sky. A quiet calming celebration for our two souls.