A Somber Fourth of July

Today is the Fourth of July — a day that is supposed to celebrate independence, liberty, and the birth of a nation “conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” But I don’t feel much like celebrating.

How do we celebrate when the ideals at the heart of this country are being trampled?

We live under a Republican Party that has become openly fascist, hellbent on dismantling every shred of decency and fairness left in our democracy. With Project 2025 as their roadmap, they now dominate all three branches of government, mocking the Constitution even as they pretend to worship it. They speak of “liberty,” but only for the wealthy and powerful — only for those who fit into their narrow, hateful vision of America.

The Preamble to the Constitution speaks of forming “a more perfect Union,” establishing justice, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity. These are not just lofty words — they are a promise. A promise this government is betraying at every turn.

We are told this is the “land of the free,” yet immigrants are vilified and rounded up like criminals. We are a “melting pot,” yet the party in power wages a war on diversity, erasing the stories, cultures, and dignity of anyone who does not fit their mold. The Statue of Liberty, with her lamp lifted high, still whispers:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…

But the current administration would rather snuff out that lamp entirely.

We are told all men are created equal, yet inequality deepens every day. We have tax cuts for billionaires while cutting food assistance and closing hospitals. We are watching, in real time, a government that would rather people starve and die than risk denting the fortunes of the ultra-rich.

On this day in 1863, Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, spoke of a nation “conceived in liberty” and warned that we were being tested as to whether such a nation “can long endure.” Today, we are failing that test. The Republican Party has made it clear: they believe only rich white men are equal, and everyone else must fall in line or be crushed.

This country has stumbled before. It has made grievous mistakes and committed unforgivable sins — yet it has also found ways to right itself, at least partially, each time. But never before have we been so actively beaten down by our own government, so gleefully dismantled from within.

And the Democrats? They have grown so complacent, so timid, that they too allow this to happen. We desperately need something new — a party with courage and compassion. A party that fights for justice instead of just tweeting about it. A party that remembers that government exists for all of us, not just for Wall Street and country clubs.

If we recover from this, it will take decades. But recovery is not impossible. It starts when we remember what we shouldbe fighting for: dignity, equality, justice.

For now, though? I find myself ashamed of this country.

If Vermont decided tomorrow to secede, I’d gladly wave goodbye to this so-called union and either stand proudly as the Republic of Vermont or join Canada. (And yes, if Canada absorbed Vermont, they’d gain a monopoly on maple syrup — since Vermont and Quebec together already produce 90% of the world’s supply. At least someone would benefit.)

What it boils down to — and yes, you boil down sap to make maple syrup; I couldn’t resist — is that America has never truly been great when it comes to humanity. But it could be. It still could be. If only we chose to live up to the words we pretend to celebrate today:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…

This Independence Day, I don’t feel like celebrating — but I do feel like fighting.

Because it’s long past time we made those truths a reality.