Many seem to be disillusioned with July 4th these days

VintageBetter

VintageBetter

Senior Member
I know I am one of them. I was reading Reddit posts this morning along those lines; health care workers hating July 4th because of all the injuries illegal fireworks cause, pet owners hating it because the illegal fireworks terrify their pets, and then others are disillusioned with the 4th because they see how our nation has not lived up to its promises.

I find it to be a miserable night and if I were not in recovery, I certainly would have gone anywhere else yesterday. Our local press doesn't even report on the fires and injuries because they are such lousy reporters.

One commenter said they don't understand why some spend thousand of dollars on illegal fireworks when they could use that money for something nice, like a vacation. Good point.
 

For me, the disappointment isn't with the stupidity of people blowing themselves up because people have been doing stupid things over and over again all the time for ages.

The past several years has become a US I don't recognize any more. I was born in 1946 and growing up in a time when patriotism and caring about other people was the "norm". At least, that's the way it felt and how I saw it. I loved celebrating the 4th. Loved going to see fireworks. Understood the sacrifices that were made to give us freedom.

Unfortunately, I don't feel that same way about anything "patriotic" about our country. It's been eroding away for a long time. It's been a slow process so that you hardly noticed any difference, until......

The decisiveness of politics has brought out the worst of the worst in people. What use to be right is now wrong and what was once wrong is considered right and acceptable.

Disillusioned with the 4th?? I'd have to say I'm disillusioned with the way our country to going. I saw a WWII vet say, "This isn't the country I fought for." I couldn't have said it better.
 
When the nation has been in its worst pickles, I have also thought of my dad, a WWII Vet, and what he would say and yup, even though he was a life-long Republican, I know he would have hated the Bush Admin's response to 9/11 and I know he would hate the current GOP nominee.

But I also know he would not like the Democrat nominee either. He'd be a stateless conservative these days.

Yeah - he'd hate both major parties these days.
 

When we were kids, we went to parades on the 4th of July, and everybody had a "cookout". It was a fun time. Yesterday, I didn't get off my butt to do anything to celebrate the holiday. It was a normal dull day. . I wonder if holidays have lost their luster, maybe it's because we are no longer involved with them. How could I have enjoyed the holiday, if I didn't do anything to participate in it? Parades, fireworks, and even Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contests are part of the holiday. All cultures have holidays. I'm still trying to figure out Guy Fawkes Day. Maybe these holidays have lost their sparkle is because we sit at home and ponder, instead of actively celebrating the holiday.
And as far as" this is the worst time in our history", just pick a date- any date, and you can say that.
 
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VintageBetter said:
When the nation has been in its worst pickles, I have also thought of my dad, a WWII Vet, and what he would say and yup, even though he was a life-long Republican, I know he would have hated the Bush Admin's response to 9/11 and I know he would hate the current GOP nominee.

But I also know he would not like the Democrat nominee either. He'd be a stateless conservative these days.

Yeah - he'd hate both major parties these days.
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I get it and I'm so disillusioned and so disgusted with our political arena, that I'm not even voting this time. The one candidate wants to be a dictator and the other one is past his expiration date. Don't even get me started on the Supreme Court!
 
I had my R/W/B solar lights strung across the hedge along the front of the house, American flag "mailbox sock" on my mailbox. Many neighbors were flying one or even two American flags. In the early afternoon I had a hot dog, corn on the cob, and some watermelon outdoors. Grilling for one is kind of pointless.

Played a patriotic playlist much of the day. In the morning watched the 1952 movie Stars and Stripes Forever:


Took a drive out and back on an "old highway" that runs through several small towns. Most had this road as the main drag and for others it was just a small detour to drive their main street. Each was suitably decked out for the holiday.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
When we were kids, we went to parades on the 4th of July, and everybody had a "cookout". It was a fun time. Yesterday, I didn't get off my butt to do anything to celebrate the holiday. It was a normal dull day. . I wonder if holidays have lost their luster, maybe it's because we are no longer involved with them. How could I have enjoyed the holiday, if I didn't do anything to participate in it? Parades, fireworks, and even Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contests are part of the holiday. All cultures have holidays. I'm still trying to figure out Guy Fawkes Day. Maybe these holidays have lost their sparkle is because we sit at home and ponder, instead of actively celebrating the holiday.
And as far as" this is the worst time in our history", just pick a date- any date, and you can say that.
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I would have been out if I could drive. Still recovering.

Why is it offensive to say, "I HATE the illegal fireworks and I really hate many of our local, state and national politicians". That's just free speech.
 
Colleen said:
I get it and I'm so disillusioned and so disgusted with our political arena, that I'm not even voting this time. The one candidate wants to be a dictator and the other one is past his expiration date. Don't even get me started on the Supreme Court!
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Be careful! You're talking politics and not history! Stick to history.
 
There was a time when holidays had meaning and you celebrated appropriately. These days it's all about the party, an excuse to eat, drink, and be merry, the reason for the actual holiday is irrelevant to most people.
 
C50 said:
There was a time when holidays had meaning and you celebrated appropriately. These days it's all about the party, an excuse to eat, drink, and be merry, the reason for the actual holiday is irrelevant to most people.
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In my area, it's become a "how much crime can we get away with?" holiday. That's what ruins it for me - the new INTENT behind it now. And the illegal fireworks are not at all as tame as the legal ones - cannot even compare them to sparklers and fountain cones.

If they were just buying sparklers and fountain cones, I would not complain so much. Those are banned from city to city, but the Federal crimes are the shooters and bottle rockets. Those can blow up your and your neighbor's homes.

Do we have any other holidays that are the, "Let's see how much crime we can get away with" holidays?
 
Colleen said:
....and you weren't talking politics in post #3? FYI....dictatorship IS history and I pray it's not repeating itself.
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I was trying to stick to history.

I guess the Mod will decide if I succeeded. Plus, my dad's probable hatred of both sides - I think that's apolitical, isn't it?
 
Most people I know enjoy Independence Day and have a good time. My relatively small city had a great parade, on one of the best in years. Lots of volunteers came out on the 3rd and early on the 4th to make it work. Most importantly it reminds me of how lucky I am to live in this country.

I’m not sure where all this Doom and Gloom comes from.
 
Maybe disillusion comes from comparing

The total population residing in the United States (excluding Armed Forces abroad) was about 194,770,000 on Dec. 1, 1965.

The current population of the United States of America is 341,834,427 as of Friday, July 5, 2024
No doubt in my mind that managing the country with less population &

[Snippet]
The global climate in the 1960s was one of excitement and hope brought by the independence of many countries from colonialism, the UN declaration of the First Development Decade, and unprecedented economic growth.
The 1960s: High Growth, High Hopes, and Looming Structural Imbalances | The World Economy through the Lens of the United Nations | Oxford Academic

or forgetting

U.S. Marshals and the Pentagon Riot of October 21, 1967
Description
U.S. Marshals at Pentagon - October 21, 1967
Saturday, 6:00 a.m. - U.S. Marshals Arrive at Pentagon: Throughout most of the day the Marshals relaxed. Many stored their nightsticks and small field packs along the Pentagon walls and lay in the grass, their heads pillowed on their white helmets.
Anti-Vietnam war protesters rallied to Washington on Saturday, October 21,1967, in the first national demonstration against the war. The Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam organized the protest to get national visibility for the anti-war movement. Nearby, military policemen stood at ten-foot intervals around the Pentagon. Within the circle of MP's, 300 U.S. Deputy Marshals spent the day waiting. The Deputies were on hand to make any necessary arrests, a civilian power not normally bestowed on the military. Hidden inside the Pentagon and other government buildings were five to six thousand Army troops armed with rifles and bayonets.

Historical Reading Room — U.S. Marshals and the Pentagon Riot of October 21, 1967 | U.S. Marshals Service.

I feel fortunate that yesterday I saw happy families picnicking in the park, younger neighbors lighting approved fireworks & and overall sense of happiness.

Can I change the perception of others NO! I can read what they say & express my own opinion that for me America is still the greatest place to live.
 
Trade said:
I feel the same way but I will vote. If it comes down to Senile vs. Sociopath I'll go with Senile.
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To avoid political there is this to clarify

Severity of Cognitive Impairment
Senility typically involves mild cognitive changes, such as occasional forgetfulness. Senile dementia, on the other hand, results in a significant and often progressive decline in cognitive abilities, including memory, language, and problem-solving skills.
 
VintageBetter said:
Do we have any other holidays that are the, "Let's see how much crime we can get away with" holidays?
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They do, it's the automatic holiday when your local sports team wins a championship. Standard festivities include getting together with a few hundred other idiots, drinking yourself into a stuper, taking all the drugs you can get, then trashing and vandalizing all the buildings and businesses of the city you claim to love. Good times to be proud of.
 
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