American national pride and patriotism is socially acceptable for the day. How is it going for you so far?

I’m in Florida. Yet to see any Americans. It’s just tourists here.

I’m spending my first 4th of July at Disney World. It’s probably not the best way to experience it

LOL, GA.

Thank you.

My country has a day that is call “Independent Day”.

All kinds of patriotism is welcome, for one day.

Then people start comparing their own country to other countries again, for 364 days.

@SecondHandStoke one draw back with the war of independance is you’re now stuck with electrical sockets that seem determined to kill you. Every time I plug something into one sparks fly. Which wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the fact the only place I see them is right next to taps in bathrooms. Or is only tourists they’re trying to get :)

^Hee!

GA.

My neighbors must have a lot of disposable income, quite the show going on right now. dayum.

Very strange. I have heard only 2 firecrackers today. I suppose no one with kids can afford to live here any longer.

There’s a big American flag flying here out by the pool. I suppose, 240 years later, I could saddle up one of the horse and go for a midnight ride shouting ” Isis is coming, Isis is coming!” haha

Damn Proud to be part of a country like this!

#WeAreAmerica

Love your country? LoveHasNoLabels.

I just scrolled through FB and I actually enjoyed seeing all the red, white and blue.

My neighbor does a huge fireworks display, non-stop for 45 minutes professional type of show. We speculate he writes it off as a business expense, @ARE_you_kidding_me, because it is so huge it wouldn’t be practical for an individual to do it any other way.

I haven’t embraced it.

I’ve been marathon watching Supernatural with my twelve-year-old daughter all weekend and we ate chili because it was rainy and chilly.

There was a bunch of firecrackers about an hour ago that succeeded in scaring the dogs but other than that, meh.
I did make several great bacon cheeseburgers on the grill. First time it has been used this year.

Hopefully this noise pollution will end by 10 PM.

@Brian1946 Just ended here at 10:07 Oops, one last straggler after the grand finale, or, someone just blew themselves up, oh well….I’m going to bed. haha

10:40 and it sounds liked the massed batteries at Gettysburg! That’s more like it!

I wanted to smoke but I was naive to think there wouldn’t be people at my spot since there were fireworks that were gonna happen there. So, I went to my extra-secret spot, and luckily there was no one there. Even better, I was able to see two different displays of fireworks from where I was sitting!

My only complaint is that there was someone lighting fireworks from me not even 100 feet away, and a flying ember almost fell onto my face.

Uh, Sieg Heil to you, I guess.

We had the requisite shitty processed meat patty sandwiches the day before at my sister-in-law’s house.

On the actual 4th, I made Spanish rice for dinner, and we all agreed dealing with the traffic and the crowds wasn’t worth it to see fireworks.

Ian and I played Minecraft a bit, and we all supervised Russell (my dog) and Oscar (the new kitten) getting to know each other.

Some neighbors blew some stuff up but I couldn’t be arsed to go outside.

The war itself and the birth of a nation were one of the most important things to happen in human history. The ‘idea or concept ’ of America was/is a evolution of government and how people feel the public should be treated. A country run ‘by the people, for the people. ’
The US Constitution and bill of rights were designed by true patriots. Men who thought very hard about making something special. A government where no one person, or mindset could rule. Equality and human rights were at the for front. Separating religion from politics. Democracy (thanks France.) And the hope that all people born here or migrated here would have the ability to live a life in pursuit of happiness.

I feel , however, that this idea has been raped and disgraced through the years by lawyers and politicians. We came to the world’s aid last in WW2. But since, have largely muddled in affairs that had little or nothing to do with us. Wars and conflicts since then are largely seen as inflammatory by the rest of the world, and indeed our own citezens. These wars often have terrible consiquences on the civilian populations of the affected countries, and unintended though they may be, they happen. I don’t understand why America thinks it has the right to police the world. If we ever held a moral high ground, we sure pissed that away. Our government spending focuses on military might, and R and D of future military mite. In the mean time, our educational standards and success are not competitive with many other 1st world nations. Our infrastructure is in dyre condition. Our health care system, although improved some with the implementation of Obama care, is substandard at best (millions of Americans go without basic medical care because of staggering costs.)
We have millions of poor, malnurished, uneducated, unhealthy, unhappy , unemployed or underemployed people right here in our own country. Race relations are stirred with overzealous police violence and unfair treatment of minorities. Mass shootings seem to be the new norm. (Drug abuse and violence usually stem from poverty. ) Chicago is a war zone, and apparently the government doesn’t care. Immigration is an issue to certain Americans, even though the country was founded by immigrants. Most Americans only speak one language. Detroit has poison for drinking water. Texas floods and burns ,when Mexican cartels aren’t killing people in the streets . (California burns every year.) Katrina. Government bailouts of uber wealthy companies whose own greed led them to fail. 90% of the people I’ve met from Ohio are the worst people I’ve ever met. Certain states continue to make abortion illegal, or difficult. Now we have a clown that actually will be the Republican candidate for president.

He’ll I could go on and on.

America could have been and still could be the greatest nation on Earth. At this point though, the apple has fallen far from its constitutional tree, and it’s brilliant roots.
Happy 4th indeed.

@MrGrimm888 Well said, totally agree.