Happy (Anti-) Fourth of July Weekend
It's okay to enjoy yourself while mourning the passage of the "Big, Beautiful Bill."
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Good evening,
If you're reading this Substack in the United States, then you're probably not in a festive mood. Even though tomorrow is the 249th anniversary of our independence from Great Britain.
I mean, really, what's there to celebrate?
The passing of the Big, Bullshit Budget Bill that will strip away health care from 17 million Americans, slash SNAP benefits from countless Americans — and give billionaires tax cuts?
The incessant ICE raids by masked “officials” required to fill Stephen Miller’s arbitrary immigrant arrest quota?
A $45 million military birthday parade for the sitting president (while almost 2% of the U.S. population protested AGAINST said president)?
The systematic stripping away of rights for women and LGBTQ+ people?
The ill-advised bombing of Iran?
RFK, Jr. and the dismantling of basic healthcare and vaccine distribution?
DOGE and the firing of nearly 60,000 federal workers?
Increased antisemitism and Islamophobia?
Kilmar Abrego Garcia being tortured at CECOT?
A brain-dead woman kept “alive” by machines so she could be an incubator for her unborn child?
Paramount caving to Donald Trump and paying him a $16 million bribe because he didn't like how 60 Minutes "edited" an interview with Kamala Harris?
(Insert anything else the Trump administration has done here)
I get it: Participating in any traditional Fourth of July celebrations feels pretty cringe right now -- and you shouldn't do so if you don't want to.
In full disclosure, I'll be at a barbecue with my immediate family (because we’re all off from work and my kid is off from camp), but as an all-Kamala-Harris-voting family, I can assure you we won't be cheering the red, white, and blue this year.
I mean, check out this on-fire Threads post from my mom!!!!
Sure, we're more privileged than most, but I’m not interested in celebrating "American Independence" while basic freedoms are taken away from millions of people in this country.
I don't want to celebrate the "independence" of a country where a ghoulish monster like Stephen Miller is deporting 3,000 innocent immigrants a day. Or where Karoline Leavitt GLEEFULLY describes Alligator Alcatraz without impunity. Or where our president is so stupid that he can’t even articulate what the Declaration of Independence means (more on that below). Or where millions of Americans take no issue with the sorry state of our union.
You know why I also don't want to celebrate? Because I've lost my faith in humanity. We keep asking, "What's it going to take for people to wake up?" The answer is nothing. I've never seen so many awful things happen in this country back-to-back-to-back, and yet, the Republicans in Congress and the millions of Americans who voted for Donald Trump don't care. They will continue doing monstrous things to our fellow humans. They will keep determining that Donald Trump can do whatever he wants. They will keep passing bills that strip 17 million Americans of their healthcare. They will keep saying "Trump is Daddy" because he's their cult leader, and he can do no wrong.
Okay, enough doomsday talk, because believe it or not, the last thing any of us should do right now is to sit around and mope this "holiday" weekend. That's exactly what Donald Trump, his evil Cabinet cronies, and the soulless Republican members of Congress want us to do: To sit in the darkness and make a public show of NOT celebrating our "Independence Day" is exactly how these abhorrent fools win. So don't let them.
Step 1: Enjoy Yourself
I sincerely hope every single one of you will celebrate yourselves this weekend. Do the things that make you happy. As I've said before, embracing happiness and joy are essential for maintaining our energy in the continued fight ahead.
Go on that vacation or quick getaway. Take yourself to the beach, the woods, the mountains, the pool -- wherever -- that is the best thing you could possibly do this weekend. Slather on your sunscreen, go outside, and get away from your ever-present screens. Get out into nature. Touch grass. Take a long walk in the woods. Go on a hike. Walk along the beach and feel the sand between your toes. Splash around in the water -- whether it's chlorinated, freshwater, or saltwater. Reset your body and your mind. Enjoy the sunrise and the sunset. Enjoy the AIR. Eat grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and potato salad! Eat ice cream!
(Because news flash: You can do all of those things without "celebrating" the Fourth of July.)
Step 2: Educate Yourself
I firmly believe that education is one of the best ways to push back on the Trump administration. So, yeah, I recommend you do some homework over the holiday weekend, mainly because that will also piss off Trump and his MAGA base.
First and foremost, please do yourself a favor and read this incredible piece by
, formerly of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. This gentleman is a conservative through and through: A George H.W. Bush appointee who also served as an advisor to former vice president Mike Pence.
Unlike his fellow conservatives and Republicans, Judge Luttig saw what many others couldn't years ago: That Donald Trump is a "clear and present danger to American democracy."
In a piece published earlier this week by
, Judge Luttig lays out, quite simply, the grievances our Founding Fathers had with King George III in the Declaration of Independence. As suggested by Telos founder , take some time this weekend to read this piece in full without any distractions. The parallels between 1776 and 2025 are quite chilling.Another reason to re-educate ourselves on the Declaration of Independence? Donald Trump, who has that very document hanging in the Oval Office, doesn't know a damn thing about what it says, or its meaning.
You guys, look at
’s face! (So glad he's here on Substack!)Secondly, instead of doom-scrolling the news, I have a ton of timely reading, listening, and viewing recommendations:
Songs
Listen to the following classic tunes and focus on the lyrics:
“This Land Is Your Land,” by Woody Guthrie
“You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught,” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (South Pacific)
“Pink Houses,” by John Mellencamp
“Finest Worksong,” R.E.M.
Books
The Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America, by
On Tyranny, by
A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape From Christian Patriarchy, by
TV shows
The Gilded Age (HBO and Max)
The Bear (Hulu)
The Pitt (Max)
Outrageous (BritBox)
Also, if you're really still having trouble understanding how fascism plays out in a slow rise, check out these movie and TV options, many of which are on this comprehensive Hollywood Reporter list
Schindler's List
The Pianist
Life Is Beautiful
The Zone of Interest
V for Vendetta
Cabaret
The Sound of Music
TV series/miniseries (most of these you can find on YouTube)
Anne Frank: The Whole Story
The Winds of War
War and Remembrance
Playing for Time
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
The Man in the High Castle (Prime Video)
Oh, and if you still want to do something “patriotic” this weekend? You can always watch (or rewatch) Hamilton on Disney+, and/or the John Adams miniseries on Max.
I know I say it over and over, but I don't think enough Americans truly understand how insidious fascism can be.
Listen, you're here, and you continue to read my work — THANK YOU — so I have to assume you're looking for community, guidance, and validation. If I am saying anything that resonates, please tell me -- because it's hard to know if I’m making a difference.
All I ask of you, my dearest gentle readers, is that whatever you do this holiday weekend, let it not be empty.
Don't "just" wear red, white, and blue because that's what you do on the Fourth of July.
Don't "just" watch fireworks because that's what you do on the Fourth of July.
Don't "just" see your MAGA relatives because that's what you do on the Fourth of July.
Don't do the "we just won't talk about politics" routine so you can avoid stress. If you're going to interact with people who voted for people who allowed this "Big, Bullshit Bill" to happen, engage them in conversation about how this bill is going to hurt millions of Americans -- including the very people who voted for this administration.
If you didn't vote for Donald Trump, and you are directly affected by the passage of yesterday’s truly horrific budget bill, then I am genuinely sorry. You didn't deserve this.
But you know something? I want to see Trump supporters suffer under these cuts, because maybe this will finally be what convinces them of their cruelty and ignorance. (Yes, Trump voters are cruel, stupid people. Don’t @ me, even if I’m talking about you or about your parents.) This budget bill will cut $930 billion from Medicaid, hundreds of billions of dollars from SNAP, and let several Affordable Care Act subsidies expire. Planned Parenthood is also poised to lose about $700 million in federal funding.
I don't want to celebrate a country that deliberately rejoices in hurting its citizens (and residents). I'm not making this up; Republican senators literally cheered when the budget bill passed the Senate earlier this week. And House Speaker Mike Johnson’s smug attitude after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries broke the record for the longest House floor speech ever (just under nine hours!) made my stomach churn.
But I won’t sit and stew either, because that’s just another form of bending the knee.
Take care of yourselves this weekend, while also remembering:
The cruelty is the point. This administration doesn’t care about you or your Trump-voting loved ones.
As always, I thank you for reading,
P.S. If you’re a regular reader of my work and wish to support my endeavors, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Or, you can give a one-time donation by buying me a coffee.
P.P.S. New article published this week!
Rescripted: “Kidney Stones and Women: Small Crystals, Big Pain” — including my personal kidney stone story!