Add 4th to traditions Trump has deep-sixed
Once upon a time, and it wasn’t so long ago, the Fourth of July was our one truly national holiday. It didn’t matter whether you were a Republican or a Democrat, rich or poor, gay or straight, black, white, Latino, Native American or Asian American, this was the one day we put aside all our differences to celebrate the land we love.
And nowhere was the Fourth more grandly celebrated than here, in our nation’s capital: a parade up Pennsylvania Avenue, an early evening concert of patriotic music on the front lawn of the Capitol, and then the grand finale: a spectacular fireworks show near the Washington Monument, which the president of the United States presided over from the White House, with military families his special guests.
It was all so genuine, so old-fashioned, so good-feeling, so downright patriotic — until Donald Trump decided to ruin it.
Yes, “once upon a time,” we could all celebrate the Fourth of July. But no longer. Add the Fourth of July to the long list of American traditions and institutions Trump has destroyed. As reported by the Washington Post, Trump has personally taken over this year’s Independence Day festivities, changing it from a celebration of America to a celebration of — HIMSELF!
The first hint of his plans came in February, when Trump announced on Twitter that Americans should “HOLD THE DATE” on July 4 for a “Major fireworks display, entertainment, and an address by your favorite President, me!”
Neither the White House nor the Interior Department, responsible for staging the Fourth of July activities, has yet revealed exactly what’s planned for this year. But we do know that, for now, they’ve moved the staging area for the fireworks from the Mall to West Potomac Park — Trump reportedly wants them launched from a barge in the middle of the river — in order to make room for Trump to give a speech that evening from the steps of the Lincoln Monument.
That loud rumble you hear is the sound of our Founding Fathers rolling in their graves. There’s so much wrong with what Trump’s doing to the Fourth of July, it’s hard to know where to start.
But let’s start with the speech. I’m sorry, but Trump’s not worthy to stand on the steps of the Lincoln Monument. This is sacred ground, the epicenter of America’s struggle to overcome the stain of racism — from Lincoln’s freeing the slaves, to Marian Anderson’s defying the locked doors of Constitution Hall, to Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his powerful “I Have A Dream” speech that defined the civil rights movement. It’s a sacrilege to allow Trump, hero of Charlottesville’s white supremacists, to appear on the same steps.
Not only that, we know what he’s going to say. He only has one speech. We’ve heard it hundreds of times. No matter what’s in the teleprompter, Trump will give the same speech he gives at every campaign rally: I’ve made American great again. I’ve accomplished more than any other president ever. I won more electoral votes than any president ever. In fact, the Fourth of July holiday was originally created just to celebrate Me, Me, Me. Plus, standard practice, he’ll throw in a few jabs at Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Warren, turning a patriotic celebration into a political circus.
Then there’s the matter of security. It’s a massive undertaking to arrange for the president of the United States to appear anywhere, especially in a public, outdoor setting. Who will be invited to the Lincoln Memorial fiasco? Will protesters also be allowed, or only those wearing MAGA hats? Will Code Pink be granted the permit it’s applied for to float London’s “Baby Trump Blimp” over the crowd?
This is a disaster in the making.
Of all the horrible things Trump’s done as president, this may be the worst. He’s stolen our national holiday. The Fourth of July’s not about any one man. It’s not about any one president. It’s sure as Hades not about Donald Trump. It’s about the very best of America, not the very worst. As John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, from Philadelphia in 1776, it’s a day that should be celebrated “forever more” as our “day of deliverance.”
Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m not celebrating the Fourth of July this year. I’ll wait for the real Independence Day — Nov. 3, 2020 — when we’ll finally win independence from Donald Trump.