An Independence Day Like No Other...

As I ponder the state of American politics on this Independence Day, including the profound politicization of the Supreme Court and the resulting decison granting near total immunity to the commander in chief, all I can think of is this weird scene my wife Lisa and I encountered in 2021 canoeing on the Hudson River near our last home - just a mile up from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

What does this moment bring to mind for you?

I tend toward optimism, and sense that the polls obscure something - that a solid majority of Americans, even in swing states - are sensible and will recognize the dangers of this moment and what a second Trump admimistration could hold (and I’m setting aside the more cartoonish possibilities). But my optimism is particularly muted right now.

I’d really like to hear from you on what you see, what you foresee, and what you’re doing to boost odds of a thriving future for all ahead.

By the way, that vista we encountered on the Hudson is even weirder as video. Here I’ve added as a soundtrack a 1907 recording of “The Battle Cry of Freedom” via the Library of Congress.

Postscript: Please also read

Gil Friend

’s brief missive and ode to the Declaration of Independence:

Today's reading: “We hold these truths to be self-evident…“

Needless to say, also read (or listen to)

Heather Cox Richardson

’s Independence Day reflection on American independence as the founding fathers saw it and as it evolved - and the threat current events pose:

July 3, 2024