By: Robert Doyle
July 4, 2026
America is coming up on its 250th anniversary of its delegates signing the Declaration of Independence (technically, they signed it on July 2, but it did not go into effect until the 4th, hence the recognition of this day and not the other), and many are gearing up for a celebration. The ball in Times Square is going to drop eight times, which is historic considering it has never done so on a day other than New Year’s. With all these events, I found myself pondering how I felt about the historic birthday of the nation I live in.
Through my pondering, “conflicted” is the main word that sticks with me.
On one hand, the U.S. has served as a model for democratic republics around the world, guaranteeing “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in our nation’s founding document. I would like to say I have enjoyed these inalienable rights, working hard to achieve as much as I can, including earning this position. On the other hand, had I been born 100 or even 70 years ago, I am not certain I would have enjoyed the same privileges. The very men who authored and signed the Declaration owned slaves themselves, and upon winning the Revolutionary War, omitted its condemnation in fear of upsetting the Southern states. This country then fought a war over the fact that owning slaves was wrong, and following said war, instituted Jim Crow laws that were systemically designed to prevent the advancement of African Americans. Barely 60 years have passed since the assassinations of Malcom X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Fred Hampton.
That’s just including actions perpetrated on Black Americans, and not including its crimes against the Japanese during World War II, or the constant bombing that the U.S. has either aided or carried out in the Middle East. Now the reader might propose “that was X amount of years ago,” and I would mention the more recent violence of the 2020s alone, including the killings of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti (I am likely omitting many tragedies, and my apologies if I do). The U.S. as a culture is at a point where a WNBA player receives death threats and racial slurs in her messages because of a missed foul call.
Considering all of this makes it tough to view the U.S. in a positive light, let alone celebrate it with alcohol and fireworks. In looking through the history of this country, I realized something: things kept getting better. Yes, slavery was an abhorrent practice carried out by the United States, and yet the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Jim Crow laws followed, and the Civil Rights Act of 64’ helped eliminate the legal justifications of racism. The deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd helped spark a movement that united many people in the country and applied pressure on large companies. The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti led to the removal of ICE agents in Minneapolis.
I am not justifying the wrongs that have taken place in this country, but I am recognizing that a brighter future followed each tragedy.
I hold that a better future is coming for the United States, that each time this country is at fault, the people will correct it. I do not hate this country for its past, but I do hold this country to the standard it laid out in the Declaration. In my opinion, you can love America and be critical of the actions this administration is taking, because real love is accountable, not making injustice passable.
So, if you’re out, enjoy the fireworks, food, and family. I am not saying you can’t. But if you don’t enjoy the route this country is heading (or you might), remember that you do have the power to make a change: and it’s not just at the ballot booth.
