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Why I Don’t Celebrate Independence Day
‘Land of the Free’ is an odd nickname. This country was built on my ancestors’ stolen land.
I no longer celebrate Independence Day. Sure, I love a good slice of apple pie and fireworks, but this holiday is an annual gathering to celebrate a freedom that doesn’t exist. As citizens of the so-called United States, we’ve been told to use specific days that are set aside as opportunities to think about the sacrifices and victories that historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt heroically led. We sing songs about God blessing the U.S.A. and how beautiful America is, from sea to shining sea, but what is erased from the conversation is the genocide and theft of land that simultaneously occurred with the creation of this country that is still happening to this day.
The curriculum used by the American education system was developed to breed patriotism. Remember the Boston Tea Party? “No taxation without representation” is the slogan most associated with this act of protest, which resulted in the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor. The participants, known as the Sons of Liberty, purposely dressed up in Mohawk regalia pieces to symbolize that they no longer recognized themselves as citizens under the rule of the King. According to the Boston Tea Party Historical Society, the image of…
