My Hot Take on the 4th of July

In honor of the 4th of July, which is today, I wanted to make some bonus content. This is my hot take on celebrating the 4th of July. So, I want to say that there is nothing wrong with being patriotic, loving your country, etc. However, I think to truly celebrate Independence Day, we need to recognize all aspects of this day, and what this day implies as a federal holiday. 

First of all, I think it’s important to know how this country was built. In elementary school, we are taught about the American Revolution, the Boston Tea Party, the Declaration of Independence, and the like. But there’s so much more to the American genesis than that. This country is on stolen land, which rightfully belongs to the Indigenous peoples of North America. The United States government is directly responsible for the forcible displacement and genocide of these people. Upon first contact with the Europeans, there were millions of Native Americans living on this land. Where did they go? They were killed- murdered, raped, starved, forcibly sterilized, and marched thousands of miles on foot to reservations- which is a fancy word for concentration camps. In fact, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi government specifically studied American removal policies in order to set up the genocide of Jewish people, gay people, the Roma, and disabled people. 

Finally, there’s the question of the fireworks. In my opinion, fireworks should be illegal. If you have pets, you will know that most animals are terrified of the loud noises on the 4th of July. Humans famously have terrible hearing, in comparison to our furry friends. So if we need hearing protection when in close proximity to fireworks, imagine how our pets feel? For those of you who are parents of young children, or children who get overstimulated easily, the loud noises that accompany fireworks, along with the bright flashes can cause significant distress. It doesn’t stop there. For people, namely war veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the lights and noises associated with fireworks often cause flashbacks, panic attacks, and anxiety. And finally, the environmental effects of fireworks are significant as well. In Oregon, we often get wildfires during the summer and fall. If fireworks are used irresponsibly and in a dangerous way, they can easily start wildfires that not only destroy peoples’ personal property and homes, but can destroy thousands of acres of forests. 

So, yeah, that is my hot take on the 4th of July. If you are celebrating today, celebrate mindfully, and most importantly, be safe!