An inspirational read that sadly is nothing more than the usual neoliberal nonsense cloaked in the tired and misleading trope of US “democratic” exceptionalism. A professor of history should know better.
On the zoom call today, I saw several comments in agreement with embracing patriotism. I rebelled in the 60’s and was totally turned off by flag waving spectacles back then. Reflecting on positive changes that came from our struggle, I truly do feel more patriotic. More needs to be done, and multiracial/multicultural democracy has well won the right to wave the flag. Let’s attract well meaning folks who may be just a bit more conservative but love democracy.
This was written by a slave and retold by his descendents. It is how the slaves felt about the 4th of July. You may never think about the holiday in the same way again. I loved it! It needs to be told as part of our healing!
Thank you for writing this article, Ruth. This is exactly what I felt when my husband and I watched the PBS fireworks show. There were a big crowd, which made me a little nervous, but the crowd showed no signs of diversity. They all seemed to be happy to celebrate Independence Day together as Americans. The performers were a mix of races all performing together. I had almost forgotten what it was like to see that kind of common purpose and celebration together. It gave me hope and a warm feeling inside. Even my husband, a casualty of Fox and Trump, felt the same peace and unity. We have a long way to go and I think your zoom meeting is playing its part to help birth this new way being. Our constitution gave us a lot to grow into and I pray we can do it.
A patriotism devoted to protecting freedom for everyone is the main thrust of the Declaration of Independence. Meaning all men and now women black, brown or white are created equal. It was and still is a radical notion and one that serves as the guiding ideal of American Democracy. But unfortunately, one political party (the GOP) has now abandoned that commitment to the American experiment in self government in order to entrench itself in power without majority support.
We're at an inflection point in history, where the era of neoliberalism since the Reagan 1980s is trying to give way to an era of public purpose and progressive reform amid an increasingly diverse and multicultural population. But the forces of authoritarianism and populist anger fed by a rising nativism are being effectively exploited by a talented and skillful demagogue. The GOP led by Trump is sabotaging democracy at every turn and is preventing what would otherwise be a natural historical change in the cyclical mood of the country from ever taking place. "The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear" Those morbid symptoms are obviously Trump and his morbidly diseased GOP that has embraced autocratic rule and seriously threatens American democracy.
Speaking about "immigrant's aspirations" are you aware that the Tenement Museum's old mission of celebrating immigration is considered racist?
An inspirational read that sadly is nothing more than the usual neoliberal nonsense cloaked in the tired and misleading trope of US “democratic” exceptionalism. A professor of history should know better.
On the zoom call today, I saw several comments in agreement with embracing patriotism. I rebelled in the 60’s and was totally turned off by flag waving spectacles back then. Reflecting on positive changes that came from our struggle, I truly do feel more patriotic. More needs to be done, and multiracial/multicultural democracy has well won the right to wave the flag. Let’s attract well meaning folks who may be just a bit more conservative but love democracy.
So important. Thank you.
This was written by a slave and retold by his descendents. It is how the slaves felt about the 4th of July. You may never think about the holiday in the same way again. I loved it! It needs to be told as part of our healing!
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/03/884832594/video-frederick-douglass-descendants-read-his-fourth-of-july-speech?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=nprnews&utm_campaign=npr
Thank you for writing this article, Ruth. This is exactly what I felt when my husband and I watched the PBS fireworks show. There were a big crowd, which made me a little nervous, but the crowd showed no signs of diversity. They all seemed to be happy to celebrate Independence Day together as Americans. The performers were a mix of races all performing together. I had almost forgotten what it was like to see that kind of common purpose and celebration together. It gave me hope and a warm feeling inside. Even my husband, a casualty of Fox and Trump, felt the same peace and unity. We have a long way to go and I think your zoom meeting is playing its part to help birth this new way being. Our constitution gave us a lot to grow into and I pray we can do it.
In deepest gratitude,
Carolyn
A patriotism devoted to protecting freedom for everyone is the main thrust of the Declaration of Independence. Meaning all men and now women black, brown or white are created equal. It was and still is a radical notion and one that serves as the guiding ideal of American Democracy. But unfortunately, one political party (the GOP) has now abandoned that commitment to the American experiment in self government in order to entrench itself in power without majority support.
We're at an inflection point in history, where the era of neoliberalism since the Reagan 1980s is trying to give way to an era of public purpose and progressive reform amid an increasingly diverse and multicultural population. But the forces of authoritarianism and populist anger fed by a rising nativism are being effectively exploited by a talented and skillful demagogue. The GOP led by Trump is sabotaging democracy at every turn and is preventing what would otherwise be a natural historical change in the cyclical mood of the country from ever taking place. "The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear" Those morbid symptoms are obviously Trump and his morbidly diseased GOP that has embraced autocratic rule and seriously threatens American democracy.