4th of July

Trump defends US history, blasts ‘radical left’ in ‘Salute to America’ celebration

President Trump evoked the history of American patriots who defeated Nazis, toppled communists and chased down terrorists, but warned of another threat now in today’s political climate — the “radical left.” In a Fourth of July speech at the White House in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and racial unrest, Trump made a full-throated defense of America’s past and said he won’t allow an “angry mob” to tear down statues, “indoctrinate our children” or “trample” freedoms. “We are now in the process of defeating the radical left,” Trump said to hundreds at the White House lawn Independence Day celebration. “The Marxists. The anarchists. The agitators. The looters, and people who in many instances, have absolutely no clue what they are doing.” Trump, who has railed against the “cancel culture,” refused to let the coronavirus pandemic close down a grand Fourth of July celebration in Washington, D.C., despite objections from local officials over rising infection rates. Four flyovers over East Coast cities, a D.C. military air show, music and fireworks took place as part of the “Salute to America” celebration to honor America’s 244th birthday Saturday. “Thanks to the courage of those patriots on July 4, 1776, the American Republic stands today as the greatest, most exceptional and most virtuous nation in the history of the world,” Trump said. Trump praised the ingenuity of American workers and lauded American heroes who defeated Nazis and dethroned fascists. But as Black Lives Matter protesters have taken to the streets in the wake of George Floyd’s death to demand racial justice — with some activists taking down Confederate statues and other relics — Trump warned of a new front that America must overcome: left-wing radicals seeking to destroy history. Trump accused the media of “slander” for sowing racial divisions and said the press dishonors the memory of soldiers “by insisting they fought for racism.” He said the country’s heritage belongs to citizens of every background, regardless of race. “Our past is not a burden to be cast away,” Trump said. “… This incredible story of American progress is the story of each generation picking up where the last one finished.” Trump paid tribute to the military and those who founded America 244 years ago, and talked of his plans to create a “national garden” of American heroes. “We will not throw away our heroes. We will honor them, and we will prove worthy of their sacrifice,” Trump said. Trump acknowledged the struggles of the coronavirus pandemic, which “goes out in one area and rears back its ugly face in another area.” He touted advancements on testing, producing ventilators, and said the U.S. will likely have a vaccine or therapeutic solution before the end of the year. He blamed China for a “cover-up” about the virus’s origin and said the country must be held accountable for spreading a global pandemic. Trump had already kicked off the Independence Day weekend with a defiant speech at Mount Rushmore Friday where he stood up to the “cancel culture” of racial justice activists and those who are trying to wipe out American history, tear down statues and defame heroes.

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KT McFarland: Do something bold this Fourth of July — read the Declaration of Independence

In the swirl of the current presidential election, one thing every pundit and politician talks about is how angry the American people are with Washington and the political establishment – of both parties. We’re in a throw-all-the-bums-out mood. But it’s really nothing new. We go through these populist, anti-establishment cycles every 40 years or so. It’s written into our national DNA. In fact, we were founded in a great wave of antiestablishmentarianism. You think we’re in a rebellious mood today? It’s nothing compared to how mad we were in 1776. Ever read the Declaration of Independence? Reading it in fifth-grade history class is good, but that’s not what I mean. Do yourself a favor this weekend … Read it word for word. It will make today’s political battles seem tame by comparison. My family reads the Declaration every Fourth of July, with each of my children and guests assigned to read different paragraphs aloud. Our tradition began years ago, when we invited the outgoing supreme allied commander, Gen. George Joulwan (one of my oldest friends and our daughter’s godfather), to give the Fourth of July sermon at our church. Instead of preaching, he gave us a history lesson. He set the stage by describing the American colonies in the 1770s. Then he read the entire Declaration of Independence, starting with the stirring preamble…. “… We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….” At the time, I was struck by how angry the Founders were, how they reflected the frustration of their fellow colonists. Hence began the McFarland family tradition of taking an hour out of the weekend to read the Declaration at home. For years my children groaned at the reading, thinking how unfair it was that they were stuck doing “homework” while their friends were at picnics or the beach. But then my kids grew up. A few years ago, my older daughter, a Naval Academy graduate, invited some military friends for the Fourth of July weekend. My other daughter invited some friends who had studied with her at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. We all sat around the table after dinner, and each person read a paragraph or two from the Declaration. It started out as a forced exercise; their friends figured that humoring the parents was the cost of a weekend in the Hamptons. But as we went around the table, taking turns reading, their interest – and outrage – started to build. They stood up. They raised their voices. They pounded their fists on the table. We could feel how angry the colonists were with the king of Great Britain as those around the table practically shouted out the Declaration’s long list of grievances. And guess what … our Founding Fathers’ grievances against the king were the same grievances we have against Washington today: “• He erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people; • He suspended our laws; • He refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people; • He obstructed the Administration of Justice; • He imposed Taxes on us without our Consent.” All you have to do is substitute “Washington” for “King,” and there you have it: today’s rebellion against the political elite. Then an Army ranger, just back from Afghanistan, read the last line: we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. We all looked at each other with silent acknowledgment. Many of our guests had fought in Iraq and Afghanistan or had walked patrol on Navy ships in the Pacific. They were the men and women willing to put their lives on the line to guarantee us the same freedoms our forebears fought for. Suddenly the Declaration of Independence was as relevant as it had been nearly two and a half centuries ago. The next morning, our guests donned red, white and blue, strapped a 6×8 American flag to a pole and jogged through the streets of Southampton Village. They called it the “Freedom Run.” Passersby waved, drivers honked their horns and passengers leaned out of car windows to cheer. Anger with the ruling elites is nothing new, and neither is rebellion. Our Founding Fathers claimed we had not only the right, but the responsibility, to remove a king who no longer listened to his people. After winning our independence, those Founding Fathers went on to write a Constitution that gives us the right to elect representatives to lead us – and to remove them if we choose. They work for us, not the other way around. So if you occasionally shake your head with disgust this summer and autumn over the vitriol of the presidential campaign, remember your right to a revolution. People fought and bled and died so you could have it. And come November, show up at the polls to exercise it.

Wow..  Agreed!  Thanks KT!  That awesome article was written by KT McFarland who served in three presidential administrations, including Ronald Reagan’s.  Consider this your Read of the Day.  If you read anything today, then READ THIS!!…and then forward on to all of your friends and family members….and then read our great Declaration of Independence.  Excellent!!  Happy Independence Day!!    🙂

Laser Shows a growing substitute for towns that ban fireworks on 4th of July

Laser Shows a growing substitute for towns that ban fireworks on 4th of July

As cool as laser shows are, it’ll be a cold day in hell before I substitute one for a real fireworks show.  Lasers can create cool light visuals.  But, you can’t replicate the smell of gunpowder…and the thunderous sounds that shake the earth outside.  Thank God I don’t live in northern California, Washington state, or some of these other places,… which just so happen to be Dem-controlled blue states.  Gee..what are the odds?