Are you going to cancel your 4th of July? or Celebrating in style?

[Coolthulhu]

I invited my cousins and nephews over at my lakeside villa for a BBQ and some swimming pool time. We won’t celebrate anything because none of us is American, but if we were, we’d do the same things. Which means staying within an enclosed private property, away from other people, and when we’ll go out for dinner, we’ll do so with FFP3 masks in a restaurant where tables are at least 4 meters from each other.
My other cousins, the American ones, will do the same, except they’ll celebrate, but won’t go out for dinner. They hold my advice in pandemic matters in high regard, as they should.

[Stelio Kontos]

I don't know if you know this but... lots of black Americans great grandparents were slaves... how long ago do you think slavery ended?

I am saying that it doesn't make sense to pick a fight with people because they don't view the sense in the holiday for them.

Black Americans are American first. America isn't their host country. Instead it was the country that in 1776 decided they remain slaves for nearly another century when they got their independence from the British, who incidentally ended slavery some thirty years before the Americans.

We aren't talking Millenia by the way...

My grandfather was a slave in 1913, so about 50 years or so after the Emancipation Proclamation in the US. And my point still stands, if I focused on every negative event in Greek history, I wouldn't have enough days to list them all. No one cares about it, though, no reparations from the Germans or the Turks, no big social movements, or anything. And I'm not asking for that either. I'm just saying I don't just look for negative aspects of holidays. If you want to live that way, by all means, but why pointlessly argue with me over my own personal view? Do you have a need to pointlessly argue with everyone who doesn't share your philosophy? Fuck, dude...

[Themius]

My grandfather was a slave in 1913, so about 50 years or so after the Emancipation Proclamation in the US. And my point still stands, if I focused on every negative event in Greek history, I wouldn't have enough days to list them all. No one cares about it, though, no reparations from the Germans or the Turks, no big social movements, or anything. And I'm not asking for that either. I'm just saying I don't just look for negative aspects of holidays. If you want to live that way, by all means, but why pointlessly argue with me over my own personal view? Do you have a need to pointlessly argue with everyone who doesn't share your philosophy? Fuck, dude...

Until the early 1900s, black Americans who couldn't prove they were working could be forced into labour, aka slavery. There is a large part of untold history in this country... people think slavery ended in the 1860s because of the proclamation, yet slavery just continued on in other forms of forced servitude with flimsy reasons being enough to have a person indentured.

Not uncommon even through to the 1920s.

Germans or turks? You're not in Germany and you're not in Turkey are you?? You argument would make sense if Greece were under and continued to be under either the Turks or the Germans... turks and germans are both foreign nations to Greece. This is not analogous to the situation in the USA were the USA has been the USA since 1776, and the horrors done were done by the USA and the USA is the country that currently stands. And the things done weren't by some foreign nation.

I don't look for the "negative" I don't celebrate it and I think it's odd that would make people feel miffed that I dare not care about July 4th. It's another day to me and that's pretty much it.

It's like Christopher Columbus Day.

What the fuck is there to celebrate, especially for Italians... a guy backed by the Spanish gets lost, finds a bunch of people to enslave and abuse... is outcasted by the whole world because he refuses to believe he actually reached America after it has been pointed out. Goes mental, kills random natives, kills Spanish people too, which leads to the stripping of his titles and position. Then he dies believing that he went to India still despite everyone telling him no, he dies believing some conspiracy, after being stripped of titles because he began not just torturing and killing natives which Queen asked him not to do, but he started killing the Spanish.

Why in the fuck does that guy need a holiday?!

Me: This is a holiday? To that guy? That makes no sense... I really do not care about that day I'm just gonna pretend it doesn't exist lol.

I'm not "looking" for the negative. I just am aware of the history and because of that I find the idea of the entire holiday stupid... and almost comical. That doesn't mean I am looking for the negative, it just means I'm not ignorant of the past.

[Sunseeker]

I'll be getting together with a few local friends who I see on a regular basis anyway, and the numbers remain fairly low in my state.

[Stelio Kontos]

Until the early 1900s, black Americans who couldn't prove they were working could be forced into labour, aka slavery. There is a large part of untold history in this country... people think slavery ended in the 1860s because of the proclamation, yet slavery just continued on in other forms of forced servitude with flimsy reasons being enough to have a person indentured.

Not uncommon even through to the 1920s.

Germans or turks? You're not in Germany and you're not in Turkey are you?? You argument would make sense if Greece were under and continued to be under either the Turks or the Germans... turks and germans are both foreign nations to Greece. This is not analogous to the situation in the USA were the USA has been the since 1776, and the horrors done were done by the USA and the USA is the country that currently stands. And the things done weren't by some foreign nation.

I don't look for the "negative" I don't celebrate it and I think it's odd that would make people feel miffed that I dare not care about July 4th. It's another day to me and that's pretty much it.

I'm not miffed, I'm just saying I personally don't look at the worst angle of every holiday. You do you and I'll do me, there's no reason for you to hound me more. I couldn't give less of a fuck which holidays you observe or don't. I was giving my reasoning for why I observe holidays.

I see no reason to take part in a fight that isn't mine. I recognize blacks got the short end for a long time in the US, most reasonable people agree on that. But beyond that, it's not my fight any more than its African-American groups' fight to march for Armenian or Greek genocide protests, which they don't.

[Themius]

I'll be getting together with a few local friends who I see on a regular basis anyway, and the numbers remain fairly low in my state.

What is the regular basis you see them?

[ParanoiD84]

If we had it I probably would.

[Themius]

I'm not miffed, I'm just saying I personally don't look at the worst angle of every holiday. You do you and I'll do me, there's no reason for you to hound me more. I couldn't give less of a fuck which holidays you observe or don't. I was giving my reasoning for why I observe holidays.

I see no reason to take part in a fight that isn't mine. I recognize blacks got the short end for a long time in the US, most reasonable people agree on that. But beyond that, it's not my fight any more than its BLM's fight to march for Armenian or Greek genocide protests.

I don't look for the worst angle of every holiday, read my quote, which you probably missed because I added it after in an edit.

I'm not "looking" for the negative. I just am aware of the history and because of that I find the idea of the entire holiday stupid... and almost comical. That doesn't mean I am looking for the negative, it just means I'm not ignorant of the past. [about Christopher Columbus Day]

I am simply aware of the history and that awareness of that history makes it so my instant feeling is "illogical to celebrate in my mind. Everyone is off so perhaps a fine day to get together, but to celebrate the actual holiday? No..."

[PC2]

Because the "monarchy" by this period of time had a robust parliamentary system and was less cruel (however slightly) than the representative aristocracy America set up.

People who say things like this I feel do not know much about history... the first civil war, which is truly what the "independence war" was, and at the time many colonies regarded it as a civil war.

They disregard the wealthy ruling elite class, the way they manipulated the populace to hate Britain to such a point they refused high quality cheap tea for contraband counterfeit cheap dutch tea because they felt it was a hoax or a bribe...

They disregard the damage the colonies were doing to the crown, and the debt they are plunging them into, and the fact they essentially wanted to take no responsibility for it. While "no taxes without representation" was a rallying cry to the average masses who paid a very small tax as it was a progressive tax. The wealthy with their merchant lobbies were extremely influential within parliament already. Which was the very reason why the crown didn't want to give them voting power on top of that as voting power plus wealthy merchant lobbies, makes for a very one sided house.

There were a plethora of other issues of course, but it is a much more involved event.

And to say "you must be against monarchy" is foolish... Afghanistan was a little better off with their rather progressive monarch who wanted to buddy up with the west.

Well you can always make good arguments about how history would've been better given alternate outcomes. For me I don't see that as a reason to avoid holidays based on formative events.

[Sunseeker]

What is the regular basis you see them?

Every couple days. We're all essential and it's a small town.

[Themius]

Well you can always make good arguments about how history would've been better given alternate outcomes. For me I don't see that as a reason to avoid holidays based on formative events.

Surely you understand why a Black or Native American doesn't see what is worth celebrating about America's independence? They were both very likely worse off because of it. I don't celebrate Christopher Columbus Day because it is such a dumb holiday.

A holiday celebrating a disgraced man stripped of titles for killing Spanish people, who tortured and enslaved native peoples, who died thinking he reached India, ridiculed by all his peers because of his own stubbornness and refusing to accept the facts... what exactly is there to celebrate. It honestly seems funny to me that he has a holiday at all.

I am not avoiding holidays I'm just going about my business as I would on a typical day.

[PC2]

Surely you understand why a Black or Native American doesn't see what is worth celebrating about America's independence? They were both very likely worse off because of it. I don't celebrate Christopher Columbus Day because it is such a dumb holiday.

A holiday celebrating a disgraced man stripped of titles for killing Spanish people, who tortured and enslaved native peoples, who died thinking he reached India, ridiculed by all his peers because of his own stubbornness and refusing to accept the facts... what exactly is there to celebrate. It honestly seems funny to me that he has a holiday at all.

I am not avoiding holidays I'm just going about my business as I would on a typical day.

Right so I'm not necessarily saying anyone should "celebrate" these events but that it shouldn't discourage anyone from taking part in the cultural festivities related to those events(fireworks, food, etc). If I go to another country I would find it boring to avoid their cultural holidays on the basis that they were not specifically good for me. Similarly as an atheist I can appreciate all religious events based on the festivities even if I think the premise of the celebration is wrong.

[Ausr]

I march in parades on July 4th and since every parade till Oct. is canceled, I'll happily be home making sure my dog's aren't freaking out because dumb fuck assholes have to launch fireworks in the neighborhood.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Just me and wife Cuddling and watching movies. perfect.

[Femininity]

Family, because we haven't seen each other in months. We'll all be donning masks.

[Ghostpanther]

Like we normally do. Staying home, no visitors. A couple neighbors will fire off some fireworks like they normally do. But it is no louder than when they practice with their firearms.

I am patriotic. I fly the US flag on a tall pole and occasionally salute it. I may do that tomorrow. We do each summer, display pictures of family members who served in the Armed Forces. Some in WW2.

[Themius]

Like we normally do. Staying home, no visitors. A couple neighbors will fire off some fireworks like they normally do. But it is no louder than when they practice with their firearms.

I am patriotic. I fly the US flag on a tall pole and occasionally salute it. I may do that tomorrow. We do each summer, display pictures of family members who served in the Armed Forces. Some in WW2.

Iconoclastic worship of flags just seems to alien to me, especially if this isn't part of some public display. Just at some chilling... saluting flags?

[Daedius]

Juneteenth? What does Independence day got to do with that?

According to the internet there are a few states that are going on a flash-lynching tomorrow, could be interesting.

Heard Hell's Angles will be heading to a hotly protested area on the 4th. Won't that be fun?

[Dacien]

I don't really have any plans. I usually go to Bible study on Saturday mornings but it is not going to take place due to the holiday.

But I am proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. In other countries Christians are killed and persecuted every single day for even mentioning "Bible study" openly on a public forum. People of many persuasions face similar fates. So I'm very grateful to be an American.

[szechuan]

But I am proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. In other countries Christians are killed and persecuted every single day for even mentioning "Bible study" openly on a public forum. People of many persuasions face similar fates. So I'm very grateful to be an American.

Yet Christianity is the largest and one of the most commonly accepted religions around the world.