As the US prepares for its 250th birthday, many Americans are struggling to separate politics from pageantry. The country’s semiquincentennial has become a divisive issue, with some celebrating the nation’s history and others boycotting the celebrations due to their disagreements with the current administration.
Local Perspectives
In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, residents are divided on how to celebrate the nation’s birthday. Some, like Dan Marrazzo, a Republican and laundromat owner, believe that America is thriving under the current administration and plan to mark the occasion by cooking for friends and family. Others, like Betsy Halsey, a retired teacher and frequent Democratic voter, are appalled by the president and refuse to celebrate.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, one in five Americans say they won’t celebrate Independence Day this year, including a quarter of Democrats and 8% of Republicans. Two in five do not believe the country will survive another 250 years.
A Nation Divided
The divided sentiments have left local organizers of July 4 events facing a challenging task: how to mark the holiday without alienating swaths of residents. Dick Creter, whose nonprofit America Celebrates is hosting celebrations in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and neighboring Lambertville, New Jersey, said several people had sought reassurance that the program would be nonpartisan.
Historians note that prior milestone anniversaries also took place at tumultuous moments. In 1876, the country was coping with the fissures of the Civil War a decade earlier; in 1976, the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal had shaken faith in government.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
