Celebrate America — Hopefully For Not The Last Time

July 4, 2024

Awaiting the sound of fireworks this late-afternoon Thursday, July 4th, Independence Day, here in California’s Central Valley — explosions in stifling heat are wondrous.
We’re sitting at 105 degrees right now with darkness and the fireworks still a couple/three hours away.

In the wake of the SCOTUS immunity decision and subsequent shitstorm this week, and as I scroll through clips of celebrations taking place all over the country on this, America’s birthday — parades and cook-outs with a fireworks capper — a scene/scenario we’ve observed/honored for more than 250 years, I wonder via an ominous font how next year’s event will be handled, and executed. How will the nature of America be next summer? Regarding T-Rump and running the country as a one-man bulldozer (with a shitload of help, aid, and encouragement from the entire Republican Party), this might be the last dance.
I sure-as-shit hope not. In the coming months, we’ve some choppy water to navigate.

How will we be this time next year? WTF is ahead for this country?

Especially, and directly because of this:

In adding depth to context, Colbert King with an op/ed at The Washington Post yesterday explored the celebration in the face of the possible T-Rump kingship — some snips:

On this Independence Day 2024, we find ourselves, as a nation, back under a monarchy’s hold on America. Credit this astonishing turn of events to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., plus the Supreme Court’s five other royalists who joined him to fashion a decision that bestows upon the American president immunity from accountability for “official” acts that might leave him open for prosecution were he an ordinary citizen. In her ferocious dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority’s decision makes the president a “king above the law.” So here we are, having defeated King George III in 1783, only to end up two centuries later with an American sovereign with powers that would make previous tyrants drool.

Were that not enough, the country is faced with the prospect of twice-impeached felon and former president Donald Trump returning to the White House. The thought of the mendacious, narcisstic, vengeful Trump with those powers is terrifying. Dismiss the notion that “there’s no telling what he would do.” We know better. Trump and his inner circle have told us what he’ll do.

[…]

So, right now and until Election Day, no matter who is at the top of the ticket, concentrate on defeating Trump and regaining Democratic control of the House and preventing a GOP takeover in the Senate. Visualize Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress. Can you imagine a Republican House doing anything to rein Trump in? A Republican Senate doing anything but acquiescing to any underqualified, politically subservient appointment he chooses to make? Can mules whistle? Armed with Roberts’s ruling, dictator Trump could operate with impunity.

Thus, here we are on the Fourth of July with democracy on the line.

Let this be the day a second Declaration for Independence is launched, proclaimed on behalf of people who reject the notion of an imperial president, and who hold dear democratic ideals and principles. Let us pledge to defend it with our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

Let us begin today.

There’s some optimism there, though.

Even as the MAGA hats appear with a screw loose created from non-suspecting shit-like irony:

Yet life seems to continue in a fixed direction, but so so in reality:

According to Joe and company, history/democracy is on the chopping block:

Or we’ll go ape shit:

Celebrate double for next year, or not, yet here we are once again…

(Image out front by illustrator and portrait painter, Tim O’Brien, and can be found here.)

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