Independence Day in the Crosshairs: Patriots Celebrate, Leftists Seethe

Happy Independence Day. It drives me nuts that some folks will say, “Happy 4th.” July 4 is simply a date on a calendar. It’s an important date with a significant history, but the day we are celebrating is not because it lands on the Fourth of July, but because it is the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. America’s Birthday, some might say. But, I will be honest. This year’s Independence Day feels different.

I remember the Bicentennial in 1976. My family visited an uncle and aunt of mine in Irvine, California for fireworks, and then we went to a fireworks show later that evening. The celebration was incredible. America had just been able to put Vietnam behind us, it was an election year, and America was 200 years old. Patriotism filled every nook and cranny of the country. The fireworks seemed brighter, the parades more festive and filled with spectators, and the pride in America was off the charts.