Sunday Hopium - Owning The 4th Let's work together to make this year's Independence Day celebration something deeply meaningful and powerful Simon Rosenberg May 4 Morning all. Here at Hopium Sundays are rest days, take it easy days, days to spend with family and friends, days to reboot, recharge and get ready for the week ahead. So, I only have one thing for you today - we need to own the 4th. What I mean by '“own the 4th” is that we should work, through our groups and networks, to make the true meaning of the holiday come to life this year. We need to find ways to make this July 4th not just about hot dogs, parades and fireworks, but one that celebrates the Declaration of Independence and our rejection of and separation from a Mad King. Of all American holidays this one should be our day, and not his. We need to use this day to remind Americans about why we built a political system of We The People that rejected monarchy and oligarchy. We need to turn this day into a celebration of our democracy, our Constitutional order, our flag, our greatness, and his betrayal of it all. We should make this a day a good day for us, an important day for us, and a really bad one for him. I don’t know the best way to do this so I’m tossing it out there for discussion. I encourage you to float ideas with the local orgs you work with and report back with what you come up with. I think we need to have ambition beyond signs at local parades and gatherings as important as those might be. Perhaps live streamed public readings of the Declaration and parts of The Constitution by prominent citizens and elected officials. Op-eds and letters to the editor in local papers. Short videos of celebration to social media. Perhaps a focus on the four “grievances” from the Declaration that speak so powerfully to us today: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences Perhaps we together create a list of present days grievances that can be used at these events, something akin to our Letter to America concept. Remind people that these terrible Trump tariffs are a modern day form of “taxation without representation.” Not sure what the best course is. Crowd sourcing it to all of you and let’s be creative people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To get this process going let’s review the opening passages of the Declaration: The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. The final graph of the Declaration: We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. The first paragraph of our Constitution: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. And because someone appears to have forgotten it, the Presidential oath of office: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States Yes, my friends, on this Independence Day we need to once again “let Facts be submitted to a candid world.” We need to celebrate our great democracy in a moment when it is under extraordinary threat. We need to connect again with the world-inspiring We The People vision that animated the creation of these United States of America almost 250 years ago. For when we get to the other side of this - and we will - we should anticipate that it will bring an era of rebirth, re-animation and celebration of our founding principles; an era of reform and rejuvenation; an era of where this holiday becomes even more meaningful than ever. This year, in these next few months, let’s begin that process of patriotic rebirth and renewal by owning the 4th, together. If you need a bit more got some tasty Hopium fare for your Sunday watching, listening and reading pleasure: My new video and post on the moment, Our Work Is Making A Real Difference. Interviews with Jane Kleeb on building strong Democratic Parties, Rep. Joe Neguse on how House Dems are battling Trump, Senator Chris Coons on Trump’s weakening of America abroad, Glenn Kirschner on fighting Trump’s lawlessness in the courts, and MN AG Keith Ellison on how the states are emerging as powerful bulwarks against Trump. Three more essays from me - Trump Is Looking More And More Ridiculous (important), Trump Had A Bad Week, and Stopping Trump’s Sabotage. From The Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC Happy Sunday all. Rest up and see you back here tomorrow - Simon

 

Open in browser Thank you for joining the Steady community. A gentle reminder that paid subscribers help fund our effort, allowing us to produce more content freely available to all. Subscribe now Happy Fourth? Making sense of this holiday in a time of struggle. Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner Jul 4 The Fourth of July is usually a day of community, celebration, and joy. It is our national birthday party — the commemoration of a Declaration of Independence that changed “the course of human events.” It is a day of star-spangled banners and national pride — and of course the requisite hot dogs, fireworks, and parades.  But today, this year, the unity of our nation, its destiny, its self-confidence, the self-evidence of its truths are being pulled apart by forces of such strength that many wonder whether our nation, “so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” Is there reason to celebrate this Fourth, or is a more fitting response to mourn what once was and what is currently in jeopardy? To answer that question, it is important to bring our history into context. What was born on this day in 1776 was an ideal of freedom for a new nation that was far from its reality at the time. The Declaration contains the beautiful lines, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” but many who gathered to ratify independence, including the primary author of the document, Thomas Jefferson, embodied the cruel hypocrisy of slave ownership. From the beginning, the sin of human bondage, and the violent injustices it entailed, restrained the full breadth of our revolutionary ideals.  It is perhaps helpful to consider what took place that day in Philadelphia, nearly a quarter millennium ago, as less a culmination than a starting line. There was still a long-odds war to be won, and it would take many more years for George Washington’s ragtag forces to emerge victorious.  What ensued after that was more uncertainty. The early experiment in national self-governance under the Articles of Confederation was a failure, and thus the leading men of this nascent nation — and they were all men, and white ones — gathered again in Philadelphia to produce a Constitution, and a Bill of Rights.  Those represented another starting line. Our founding documents contain some of the most aspirational rhetoric in the history of human self-governance. But when it comes to fully reconciling our lofty ideals with reality, the United States has staggered its way toward the present — lurching, plodding, accelerating, and sometimes even regressing. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go to establish a just and “more perfect union.” Perfection is of course impossible, but we can be better than we are. This is the core challenge for each new generation of Americans. In our fitful national journey, we have often seen reactionary forces wrap themselves in the mantle of American patriotism. We have seen the flag and a divisive reading of the Constitution used as cudgels to beat back progress and inclusiveness. July 4 has always embodied these contradictions. In a famous and fiery 1852 speech to commemorate this day, the formerly enslaved abolitionist Frederick Douglass asked: "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim."  What we should celebrate on the Fourth is less what happened on that day in 1776 and more what followed. Our Founding Fathers, deeply flawed though many of them were, set in motion a revolution in thought that far exceeded their imaginations. The principles they defined, once documented in writing, ceased to be theirs to own and shape. That people like Frederick Douglass, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. a century later, should seek to narrow the chasm between our aspiration and our reality is as much a part of July 4 as faded words on parchment.  And that could be a guide for us today. We, as individuals and as a people, can choose not to let those who will divide us define this day. We can choose not to let those who seek to disassemble our progress determine our path forward; not to allow the forces of intolerance, autocracy, and lawlessness to claim our star-spangled banner. The United States of America is and always has been an idea more than a place. Yes, we are rooted in our past, but just as importantly, America is about the dreams of our future. I have borne witness to too much heroism and courage to not celebrate what this nation has been and can be in the future. I have seen it in battles in far-off wars and marches in our streets, on picket lines and in courthouses, in classrooms and community centers, in mass movements and quiet defiance. How dare the craven cynical actors who seek to destroy the heart of American democracy take away our pride. They will not define America for me, just as their predecessors did not define it for those who fought to make this nation better. The battles ahead will not be easy, but neither was the fight for justice in the past. Entrenched power is never easily overcome.  On this Fourth of July, I am celebrating fully and without reservation. I honor it as a day of struggle, and the struggle endures. I recognize it as a day of reflection on how fragile our rights and democracy are. But I also see it as a day to acknowledge how far we have come and how far we can go. I will never accede to an America where that journey is over. And in this I know that I am not alone. In closing, let me leave you with lines by John Dickinson (1732-1808) from “The Liberty Song,” a patriotic song that predated the Revolutionary War, and whose sentiments have resonated ever since: “Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all, By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” And finally, another stanza from the song feels particularly relevant for our conversation here in this community: “In Freedom we're born and in Freedom we'll live.  Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady.”  Subscribe now Share Leave a comment Like Comment Share You’re on the free list for Steady. For those who are able, please consider becoming a paying subscriber to support our efforts. Subscribe now © 2022 Dan Rather 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104

Thank you

Good morning.

Today is the Fourth of July, and we hope you’re able to take the time to spend with your friends and family on this beautiful weekend.

Many of us have asked ourselves at one point, "What is there to celebrate this year?" At this present moment, the stakes have never been higher for working people, our reproductive health, our right to vote, our right to safety from gun violence, and so much more.

In years past we’ve celebrated the Fourth of July with grandiose events and camaraderie. But this year, our team is taking a moment to reflect on what this day truly means for our progressive values and our work to create change. While today may not feel like a time for celebration, we can use this as a moment to recommit ourselves to working for true, transformative change in our country. 

Today, we uplift all of the mutual aid efforts and on-the-ground community work led by community members in NY-16, and neighborhoods like ours. We celebrate care workers across the country who care for those who need it most without hesitation. We recognize educators all across the country who are key to shaping the hearts and minds of our children.

Today, we want to thank the many progressive leaders like Jamaal, who are causing problems for the status quo and spearheading the work to build a multi-racial democracy that works for us all.

Most importantly, we want to thank you for believing in Jamaal and the work our grassroots movement has accomplished thus far. We can’t wait to see what progress we’re able to make in the future with you by our side.

In soldiarity,

Team Bowman

 

Donate »

PAID FOR BY BOWMAN FOR CONGRESS

Our campaign is powered by grassroots supporters chipping in to emails just like this one. 

To contribute via check, please address to: Bowman for Congress, 81 Pondfield Rd, Suite D 351 Bronxville, NY, 10708