Independence Day is our national holiday, but does that really mean you should spend it with President Trump?
Trump tweeted, in typical showman style, “We will be having one of the biggest gatherings in the history of Washington, D.C., on July 4th. It will be called ‘A Salute To America’ and will be held at the Lincoln Memorial. Major fireworks display, entertainment and an address by your favorite President, me!”
HOLD THE DATE! We will be having one of the biggest gatherings in the history of Washington, D.C., on July 4th. It will be called “A Salute To America” and will be held at the Lincoln Memorial. Major fireworks display, entertainment and an address by your favorite President, me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019
Trying to turn everyone’s attention to a single celebration in the capital cuts against the spirit of Independence Day.
What makes July 4 great is its very American localism. Each neighborhood has its own fireworks show. Small towns throw parades celebrating our veterans and our soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen. People gather with neighbors for barbecues full of hot dogs and pies.
The capital city and the federal government aren’t what make the country great. What we do when we come together as congregations, organizations, co-workers, and neighbors is what lifts the country up. As any conservative knows, America excels when the federal government gets out of our way. A bigger celebration in Washington inflates the already outsize importance of the presidency and the federal government.
Washington should absolutely continue to have the its big fireworks display on the National Mall. But that display is one among many — around the nation, and even around DC.
The “Fourth of July” is really about independence. Let the whole nation celebrate it. Independently.
