Anonymous writes in response to James Ostrowski and Reasons for not celebrating the 4th:

What an insane, bitter post. I'm loath to bring myself into this discussion but the audacity of the writer's suggestion demands a reply. With all due respect to the erudition of the writer, he seems to have more in common with the smug condescension of H.L. Mencken than with the founders or with average Americans who still strongly believe there is something worthwhile to celebrate on July Fourth.

I can easily imagine what hard-working, everyday Americans who are enjoying the day with their families and with veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (not to mention WWII, Vietnam and Korea, etc.), would have to say if the idea were proposed that, on this day, there is nothing worth celebrating anymore. Scandalous.

Even popes have lauded America's singular contributions to the world. But you'll be hard pressed to find such praise reprinted on this gloomy blog. Has the US strayed from the original vision put forth by the founders? Yes. Have we lost sight of the ideals that inspired the Declaration of Independence? YES. But all the more reason to rededicate ourselves on this day to informing our fellow citizens about the beauty of what happened in 1776, rather than throw in the towel and mope in the corners of the blogosphere.

Here is one person who won't be returning to this blog, too depressing.

Here's another link: Uncelebrating the Fourth by Harry Browne. (It is perhaps filled with too much Americanism in its portrayal of American independence, but at least it has a better grasp of what has happened since then than, say, Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity. A similar criticism could be levelled at Mr. Ostrowski, but then again, he is a paleolibertarian.) I post again a link to Dr. Gutzman's Myths of the 4th of July.

Perhaps Anonymous has not been reading this blog very long. What is an average American? A Yankee? Someone who believes that the War to Prevent Southern Independence was a just war? Or that the United States is a single political entity, and not a federal union of sovereign states? Most Americans have no idea of what they are really celebrating, because they've accepted the Nationalist myth, and so they do not see how their current political system actually opposes what their forebears living in the thirteen original states wanted. How strange it is for someone to celebrate their rejection of a tyrant living an ocean away, and yet at the same time acquiesce in the usurpation of power by the Federal Government and think that this is proper. Such apparent cognitive dissonance can be explained only by great ignorance and unreflective habit.

Americans would be better off learning about the Constitution and the Tenth Amendment, and doing something to restore state sovereignty. Here's one suggestion: check out the Tenth Amendment Center. Or join the Campaign for Liberty. Does one celebrate his parents' wedding anniversary if they've had an acrimonious divorce? Probably not. The civic religion of the modern American nation-state has appropriated the 4th of July for its own ends. The communal observance of this day is like a habit, difficult to break. But in observing it, are we not pretending that what was achieved by the war for independence continues to exist, like a pretending that his divorced parents consider themselves to be still married? Instead, should we not be working for a restoration of the old constitutional order, refraining from celebrating until the task has been finished? We must acknowledge that something has been lost in order to recover it.

As for the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, we should honor those who offer themselves in service to this country, but those two recent imperial misadventures should serve to remind us of the evils committed by the National Government, and how far it has strayed from what was intended by the Founding Fathers. What does the secession of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain have to do with wars overseas and the occupation of other countries? NOTHING. (This is the sort of emotionally-charged red herring that one would expect from someone who hasn't actually served in the armed forces, or a neo-con.) Moreover, talk of the "ideals" of the Declaration of Independence sounds like proposition nation propaganda to me. See Daniel Larison's Happy Independence Day!, and then read M.E. Bradford.

Regarding the popes and their praise -- that's a rather ultramontane thing to say. Are all of the popes equally educated about the American political order, as it was understood by those ratifying the Constitution? I think not. Perhaps much of the rhetoric does not rise above the level of flattery. Or, perhaps the pope are mistaken in matters that do not involve Church teaching on faith and morals!

The sooner one recognizes reality for what it is, the better off one will be. At least one is then able to pursue a true solution, rather than inadvertently promoting the status quo as a result of an erroneous understanding of what the problems are and through misguided efforts. (And it is certainly better than recommending that all one needs to do is "educate" one's self through "talk radio" and vote R.)

*Does this mean that we should not have bbqs or watch fireworks on the 4th of July? Probably not. But if such activities should be accompanied by the reminder that what is being celebrated has been destroyed by those consolidating Federal power, then how can one be festive or joyful? It is more of an occasion for lamentation and prayer. Abstaining from public endorsements of the status quo (such as parades) seems to be warranted, if we are going to be consistent. How can we reinforce the belief of others that everything is ok with the U.S. of A. when we know it to be otherwise?