Its time for Fourth of July, which for many Americans is an excuse to dress in whatever American flag outfits they can find. This is their way of expressing their pride and love for their country on an important day in its history. However, as time has gone on, these shirts have changed and now include more references to drinking and treating the holiday as one big party rather than remembering the historical significance of the event. In the face of all this, I cannot help but wonder if we are disrespecting the historical events that we are celebrating.
By wearing American flag bathing suits, t- shirts, and graphic t-shirts, I don’t believe we are necessarily disrespecting the holiday and our country. It’s our modern way of expressing our love for our country, and while it might differ greatly from what once was respectable, I don’t believe it is necessarily wrong. Instead, by wearing our American outfits proudly, we are celebrating our right to freedom of speech and freedom of expression. These are rights our country was founded upon, so it only makes sense that we would be able to celebrate them on the day that we claimed our independence as a country. Even though some see wearing the American flag, the symbol of our country, as disrespectful, we live in a democracy, which means not everyone has to have the same opinion. Democracy leaves room for people to express themselves the way they see fit, and leaves room for others to disagree with those decisions.
I do believe that sometimes, like with many other holidays, the true importance of the event in which we are celebrating gets lost in the celebration itself. Many think of the Fourth of July and immediately equate it with the parties, the barbeque, the fireworks, and the day off from work. While the celebration part of the holiday is important, we cannot forget the reason behind the celebration itself. The history behind our country is important and should be honored along with the celebrations. Too often the history of the holidays seems unimportant; it’s only an excuse for a celebration. However, if the events of the past are so important that they need to be remembered, memorialized, and celebrated every year by all citizens, they should be the focus of the celebration, not the celebration themselves.
Now, I love everything about the Fourth of July. I love the celebrations, the fireworks, and all the red white and blue. However, in the face of the commercialization of the holiday in stores, the parties that focus more of having fun than the historic event itself, and the symbol of our country being plastered on every bathing suit and shirt, we cannot forget the reason why we celebrate. I’m not asking for us to change the way we celebrate, however I think during our celebrations we need to remember why we are celebrating. The history and all that it gives us is important, and cannot be forgotten, even in the face of fireworks.