The 4th of July

[Ezra]

I don't understand why Brits don't celebrate the day that the US declared independence from the UK. I'd think they'd be glad they're not stuck with us har har.

 

[Mary Terry]

It might be your country now since you were born there and you had no control of what happened before you were born, but it was the native American's country and it was stolen by settlers who also persecuted them. We see so many cowboys and Indian's movies where the Indians are portrayed as the bad guys, but they were just trying to defend their land and culture from the invaders. It doesn't matter what poppycock legal documents were drawn to say it wasn't their land, they were there first and it's no wonder there was conflict.

Native Americans are also often wrongfully portrayed as primitive, but in some ways they were and some still are more advanced, they were in touch with spirit and they were at harmony with the environment, something most of modern society has very sadly lost.

You say you celebrate a break from an oppressive government, but was it really any better and would it be any better now many years on, obviously Britain is nothing like it was back then? It wasn't exactly like suddenly everything was perfect, some of America later became virtually lawless and starting in 1861 was the American Civil War.

Quick history lesson: The "settlers" were British, Spanish and French, among others. Those nationalities migrated to North and South America where they demeaned and abused Native Americans for centuries before the United States of America was formed and independence obtained from Britain. To sneer at citizens of the USA today as the source of abusive practices toward indigenous Americans in both North and South America is ignorant and shortsighted.

And, by the way, it was those migrating nationalities, mostly the British, who brought to and institutionalized slavery of Africans in what is now called the USA.

 

[Judge]

I've never thought about moving to Nevada before but now I'm going to start thinking about it every 4th. Are those restrictions state wide?

Nope. But they are enforced in the most populated areas Clark (Las Vegas), and Washoe (Reno-Tahoe) counties. In Nye county you can still set off your fireworks, unintentionally burn down your own house and any legal house of prostitution in the process. But like most laws they don't stop some folks from recklessly setting off their own fireworks. Which scare the hell out of so many others, including me.

Americans and Brits celebrating the Fourth of July? Only in Hollywood.

As for the real Stalag Luft III those three Americans never existed. However 50 British Commonwealth officers did escape from this camp were in fact caught by the Gestapo and summarily shot.

 

[pjcnet]

Quick history lesson: The "settlers" were British, Spanish and French, among others. Those nationalities migrated to North and South America where they demeaned and abused Native Americans for centuries before the United States of America was formed and independence obtained from Britain. To sneer at citizens of the USA today as the source of abusive practices toward indigenous Americans in both North and South America is ignorant and shortsighted.

And, by the way, it was those migrating nationalities, mostly the British, who brought to and institutionalized slavery of Africans in what is now called the USA.

It doesn't matter which country the settlers originally came from, I was born in England, UK and I refuse to be patriotic because I see it as a form of control, so I definitely won't be offended if people criticise Britain or England, it's only patriotism that makes people stand up for their country in debates like this or worse become offended even when it's only a historical debate. The British and especially the English have done terrible things throughout history and the British that abused the Native Americans were just as evil as any other settlers that did the same, obviously slavery was incredibly evil too and even after it was abolished, in parts of America apartheid stood well into the 20th century. As I said people who were born in the USA today are now true citizens too and obviously they had no control over what happened before they were born, you shouldn't see condemning what people did throughout history as anything against yourself or any other citizen today no matter what their nationality, it's not intended to sneer at anyone. The whole celebration of the 4th of July is all about history and the Native Americans where still abused even after the USA was formed, in some ways the abuse became "legal" when their land was in my opinion stolen from them.

 

[tree]

When did this turn into a "debate"?

I thought the OP wanted to know what people's
plans were, for the 4th of July, the holiday in the
USA.

Which hardly applies to people who don't live there.
----
Summer people have been up for a week already
around here. With their boats, 4 wheelers, dogs..etc.

Family groups. Some fireworks. BBQ.

Up the road from me I was surprised to talk to a
woman who had a young pygmy goat with her.
They couldn't leave it home as it is still on a bottle,
she said. So they brought it along for their vacation
stay.

 

[Tom]

Are any of you'll doing anything for the 4th of July? Do you guys enjoy the fireworks or is the noise too much?

We're having a cookout & shooting fireworks, and loud noises never have bothered me so i enjoy the fireworks!

I loved fireworks when younger and in the rare times I could get them (illegal where I lived in NY). Got to see a few public displays which were nice. I liked to dissemble firecrackers and make my own little rockets. They invariably blew up on the launch pad or chased after one of my sisters.

Now I live where you can have them or shoot off guns into the sky if you want, but have lost my interest. My neighbors often shoot off big rockets though. On the 4th we mainly just protect one of my small dogs from the noise. I have to make a special bed for her with towels behind a toilet in one of the bathrooms. Its just where she picked as her safe place from fireworks or thunder.

 

[Judge]

Up the road from me I was surprised to talk to a woman who had a young pygmy goat with her.
They couldn't leave it home as it is still on a bottle, she said. So they brought it along for their vacation
stay.

And Yoga.

 

[Mary Terry]

I have belatedly realized that there is substantial resentment in Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South American countries against citizens of the USA who have co-opted the term "American" to describe themselves. Everyone in North and South America are "Americans", not just citizens of the USA. The Mexicans don't call us "Americans". They call us the Spanish language equivalent of "United Statesians" - people from the United States. I am trying to change my standard identification as an "American" to call myself a United Statesian. (Which spellcheck does not like, LOL).

 

[tree]

I think there has been a little too much reading into in this thread.
OP didn't post this in the Political area.

It looks to me as if replies would be better aimed at the face value
of the original post, which concerned social, holiday plans.
QUOTE
Are any of you'll doing anything for the 4th of July? Do you guys enjoy the fireworks or is the noise too much?

We're having a cookout & shooting fireworks, and loud noises never have bothered me so i enjoy the fireworks!
END QUOTE

 

[Butterfly88]

Fireworks are too loud for me. However, that won't stop my neighbors so I'll be stuck listening to them anyway, oh joy. :/ Not sure if my mentor is coming or not but probably not, but I'll have to ask her today to be sure. If she's not coming I'll probably just hang with my family. The store was out of my favorite veggie burgers unfortunately so not sure what I'll eat, probably nothing special.

 

[WittyAspie]

As a Brit, I'll be having momentary bouts of sobbing, punching walls and burning American flags.

I find it strange that this is the only(?) occasion of Americans that they use the term, "4th of July" when you lot always have you dates the other way round, MM/DD/YYYY. Unlike most of the rest of the world's DD/MM/YYYY. Strange. There's almost something incredibly.....BRITISH about it....

I call it July 4th. Why waste time with an extra “of.”

 

[VJCJ0628]

There was an event here on Saturday went with the family, Will probably do another on the 4th itself, The little ones love the fireworks shows a lot of fun

 

[tducey]

We had our national holiday yesterday. Participated in the town parade and had breakfast at another town today for Canada Day.

 

[Its_Me_Jackie]

Lol i just asked a simple question hoping for a simple answer

When did this turn into a "debate"?

I thought the OP wanted to know what people's
plans were, for the 4th of July, the holiday in the
USA.

Which hardly applies to people who don't live there.
----
Summer people have been up for a week already
around here. With their boats, 4 wheelers, dogs..etc.

Family groups. Some fireworks. BBQ.

Up the road from me I was surprised to talk to a
woman who had a young pygmy goat with her.
They couldn't leave it home as it is still on a bottle,
she said. So they brought it along for their vacation
stay.

 

[tree]

Lol i just asked a simple question hoping for a simple answer

I know, right?

That's what I thought.

The people with the little goat make goat milk soap
when they are at home, not up at their cabin. They
have a couple big dogs, too.

 

[Nitro]

I remember one Fourth of July when I was 8 where I got a hold of a pack of matches that was left laying around after the fireworks were all gone.

It was the oldschool ones with the striker on the front of the pack.

I didn't close the cover before striking.

The entire pack went up in flames leaving me with second degree burns on my left hand.

I had to hide it from my folks because they would have lit up my behind after the trip to the docs for playing with matches.

It took several months for my broiled paw to fully heal

 

[tree]

My father's father was a volunteer fireman
and so they oversaw the firework displays at
the fairgrounds. I always liked fireworks. I
could see them when I was little, before I
even had glasses.

They never really lasted long enough, to me.
I was ready to see more of them.

 

[Nihil]

Definitely enjoy fireworks, but I mostly enjoy staying home and listening to it in the distance, unless we go to visit family. I love the idea behind it as well.

 

[GrownupGirl]

I don't celebrate the 4th of July. I live in Canada and we just had Canada Day on July 1st.
I have and aunt -my mom's younger sister- whose birthday is also on July 1st. My mom went to her birthday party yesterday but didn't really do anything Canada Day related. Neither did I. I'm too lazy to walk all the way downtown where most of the events were taking place.

 

[Butterfly88]

My mentor isn't coming. I found black bean veggie burgers I've never tried before, I hope they are good.