Fourth of July: Your Doin It Rong!

Our founders would be revolted

Let's face it -- 232 years after it was declared, Independence Day hasn't exactly lived up to its hype.

Instead of meditating upon the meaning of our democracy like those delegates to the Second Continental Congress intended, a modern patriot's mind turns to thoughts of conspicuous consumption and the starting times for the latest Will Smith movie. (P-G, Tony Norman)

You know, it would be nice to have one holiday we are allowed to celebrate as a holiday.

Memorial Day impels us all obviously and directly to ruminate on the disconcerting aspects of our times. So does Veterans Day. The Martin Luther King holiday is a marker of tragedy and ongoing struggle. Christmas has its true meaning to consider.

We would have preferred Independence Day -- in recognition of that incredible victory of intellectual idealism which birthed our universe -- to have remained safely and purposefully a celebration. A day for optimism.

A party, if you will.

Randy Bish bummed us out similarly this morning in the Trib:



Our brothers and sisters who are at war of course should be held dear to our hearts -- and in fact we ought to be praying for them on most of the other 364 days in a year as well.

But how to go about it on Independence Day?

In consideration of that song in which "the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there," we feel like the proper sentiment to offer these folks on this day should be perhaps one less of stoicism verging on numbness and despair.

Perhaps something like, "Kick ass, you guys. We'll make our way through this yet."

Summarily: yet another diddy, well executed and brilliantly conceived, after a bit of an annoying intro:



BETTER STILL: Link.