I’m nostalgic for kindness, decency, and empathy. I’m a child of the 70s, and Fred Rogers and Kermit the Frog set the tone of my childhood. I remember when Mr. Hooper died, and the cast of Sesame Street turned it into a lesson about death and grieving. I remember when Mr. Rogers shared his pool with the Black police officer, Officer Clemmons. 

Now these two examples of just being a decent fucking human being would be considered “woke” by many. 

I have hit a wall in the Era of (Orange) Outrage, and I’m just so tired of the sliver of society who seems to thrive on a constant stream of ragebait and the media outlets who feed it to them. 

How are they not exhausted? 

A quick glance at the TPUSA electeds and wannabes out there, and their entire platforms consist of anger, distrust, and a deep need to control and be controlled. They seem to only experience joy when they talk about their god, country, or the suffering of others (often in the name of god/country). 

Right now, they’re all giddy about ‘Murica’s 250th, and their social media feeds are emblazoned with red, WHITE, and blue. 

I vaguely remember ‘Murica’s 20th because my Aunt Rita taught me “You’re a Grand Ol’ Flag” and suggested I sing it at a picnic. I was shy, but she bribed me with a whole 2-dollar bill and an Avon lipstick purse I coveted. I remember loving the attention and praise, and dare I say…a star was born? 

But let’s look at those lyrics for a second, shall we? 

“Forever in peace may you wave” is rich, amirite? Besides Mr. Rogers and Kermit, I also remember the Cold War and constant worries that every time a tornado siren went off in my tiny hometown, it was surely the Russians and we were all going to incinerate or live in a post-nuclear hellscape. 

I saw the Day After. 

My children are Zillenials, so almost their entire existence has been a neverending firehose of Forever Wars. 

The line about how there’s “never a boast or brag” is kind of hilarious too. That’s all our elected officials do now. 

They boast and brag about how great their version of ‘Murica is, but ignore the diversity that made it so great in the first place. 

I mean, it even says so in the end of the song, to remember all the people and history that made this country great, and always be dedicated to the pursuit of the principles represented in Old Glory. Things like liberty and unity. 

Not whatever the hell this is: 

Yikes…look familiar? 👀

There’s that bit in the middle of the song that still resonates with me: 

“You’re the emblem of the land I love.

The home of the free and the brave.”

I bet a lot of us are feeling “the Ick” right now when it comes to our country and its leadership. I know I am. But I grew up waving flags at Settlers Day Parade in my hometown, at the Phoenix Veteran’s Day Parade, Pride Parades all over the state, and countless July 4th festivities throughout my life. 

It’s still our flag too, and I love this land with all my heart. (The people, not so much). 

I don’t know about y’all, but I have countless brave individuals in my life. Some who fought in foreign wars, but even more who fought and keep fighting right here in their own backyards to make America truly great for everyone who lives here. 

And very few of them “boast or brag” about the work they do because they know the fucking lyrics to the song. 

The best part about my July 4th holiday so far has been watching the spectacular failure of America’s State Fair in DC. It seems less like a birthday celebration and more like a funeral, and that’s OK with me. Whatever we’ve become, whatever this gestures broadly is?? It needs to die. 

And it is dying (not Stephen Miller - I’m pretty sure he’s a vampire). Look at special elections all over the country right now. Left and left, progressives are winning and pushing out moderate incumbents. Both sides are rejecting the status quo and we’re seeing in real time deep fractures within the GOP. 

I mean we see them all the time with the DNC, but it’s nice that they’re not the only party that’s in complete disarray. 

So if you need to, this Fourth of July, take a moment to mourn. Pour out some Budweiser or whatever appropriate all-American beverage you choose for ‘Murica. She’s dead, and there’s no reviving her. 

This is a good thing. 

This gives us a chance to give birth to a new America and fulfill the promises we make when we sing all those patriotic songs. It’s an opportunity to right some wrongs and elect people who will work to get dark money out of politics, protect citizens, and put caps on wealth. 

I’m reclaiming Independence Day and calling it Dependence Day instead. 

Being dependent upon others from time-to-time is actually a good thing. I depend on my friends to be there to lean on in tough times. I depend on my board and staff to meet deadlines and accomplish goals. I depend on the community in my complex to keep an eye out for myself and my property. I depend on public schools and libraries to provide services to our most vulnerable citizens and families.  

As far as patriotic songs go, I prefer This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie: 

This land WAS made for you and me. Not the billionaires. Not the Christian nationalists. Not the xenophobes and racists. Us. 

Happy Dependence Day to all who celebrate. We depend on you to keep doing this work, so if you want to show us some patriotic love for the work Secular AZ does to protect the Constitution, consider a paid subscription today.

This Fourth, be recklessly dependent on your loved ones and make sure they know they can depend on you whenever they’re in need. 

To freedom, Secular FAM.