250
John R York
July 4, 2026250 Fourth of Julys
250 years sounds like a long time, but everything is relative. In the grand scheme of things, 250 is still quite young compared to countries such as Japan, France, Spain, Great Britain, Russia, Iran, Egypt, China, and about 18 others. Again, everything is relative. These countries' civilizations date back to ancient times, although a few of their current modern states were formed after 1776.
This July 4th we celebrate 250 years as the United States of America. We have survived many challenges along the way, foreign and domestic, and have emerged, in our humble opinion, as the greatest country on earth. There is no doubt that, as a nation, we are very fortunate
A big part of the celebration seems to be focused on parties, parades, fireworks, and commercial sales. “These sale prices can’t last!” I’m not complaining. We’re going to a big 4th party where the focus will be beer, burgers, and beans. Everybody's primary concern is that the rain forecast for Saturday evening doesn’t ruin everything.
Proud Proud Proud
We Americans do have much to be thankful for and proud of. As I said, everything is relative. You’ve probably heard about the test where you hold up a blank sheet of white paper with a tiny black ink speck off to one side. You ask a person what they see. Ninety-five percent of them will tell you they see a black speck, not a white sheet of paper. Human nature seems to gravitate toward what it perceives to be faults.
I took a cursory look at several national polls that attempt to gauge the mood of Americans. Of course, opinions are like buttholes – everybody’s got one. You have to take just about everything you hear with a grain of salt. That said, Americans are generally proud of freedom, democracy, opportunity, the military, and innovation. On the other hand, we are worried about the government, the economy, inflation, crime, division, immigration, healthcare, education, and threats to democracy.
The funny thing is, if you take any one of those impressions and ask a specific person off the street to describe their feeling in detail, you’ll get a unique point of view. You see, that’s the thing about the United States of America. We are made up of a whole bunch of different people from different backgrounds, beliefs, attitudes, financial circumstances, and on and on. Not only that, but people’s attitudes change over time as the pendulum of power and events swings back and forth. I love thinking about stuff like this.
As a white, retired male in good health and with money in the bank, my attitude on this 250th anniversary is pretty darn good, despite all our country’s warts. I’m sure many others may not feel as positive. One good thing about America - regardless of your opinion, is that you have the right to express it. On the other side of that coin, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are other Americans out there who will think your opinion sucks. Don’t worry, I’m not going to launch into some politically charged diatribe about how we’re on the brink of certain doom. I will say, though, that if everybody were more like me, the world would be a better place.
Celebrating
One thing is for sure: there will be plenty of celebrating this Fourth of July. I heard on the news that there will be 300,000 fireworks in the Washington DC show on the 4th. Whew! Better drink some coffee to stay awake long enough to see it all.
There are all sorts of Semiquincentennial programs planned nationwide, including parades, extravaganzas, and special TV shows. Oh yes, and the ubiquitous 4th of July Sales. I bought special star-spangled socks, a 250th hat, and a USA T-shirt to wear on the Fourth. Nobody’s going to say I’m not proud to be an American.
I sincerely hope that the USA will make it another 250 years for our quincentenary Fourth of July. I know it will be challenging. It always has been - from the very beginning. If you want to find out what I think one possible outcome will be just 50 years from now, ( and who wouldn't?) buy my novel Mind Meld: A New Order.