Arlene Violet: Some July 4th Afterthoughts

Arlene Violet: Some July 4th Afterthoughts

I love the 4th of July. This 250th celebration, however, was extra special. Various media outlets produced fabulous documentaries on the heroism of our Founding Fathers and the sacrifices they and their families made. 

Scholars offered critical insight into the Declaration of Independence and  the Constitution, and the principles of freedom that are its marrow. Of course, the celebrations in the towns were spectacular. 

Kudos to the Bristol Fourth of July Committee. They toil many hours to pull the celebration together and arrive at 5:30 a.m. on the day of the parade to prepare for their assignments. It’s rare for anyone to stop before 5;30 pm. Bravo to the workers who toil to bring us the Gloucester 100th Ancients and Horribles Independent Day Festivities, and to the countless towns and cities that had great events for their residents and carried them off with aplomb despite the heat. The Rhode Island State Fourth of July  Committee  made it look like it printed money to carry off the classy celebration culminating at the State House with the RI Philharmonic after Waterfire (Bravo, Barney!)

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The crowning glory of the celebration, though, had to be the person on the street who preached America/s gospel of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, where all are equal. The many interviews of Americans warmed my heart that “they got it” and were committed to preserving these values for generations to come. I was also happy to share this American spirit with our worldwide visitors who were here for the World Cup and got to experience Americans in the flesh!

I was also somewhat optimistic when President Donald Trump began his speech at the National Mall. Heroes were introduced, and the military was honored for preserving our freedom. Yet, you cannot change the basic nature of someone, so it wasn’t too long before his commemoration became  polarizing patter. As a prelude, no doubt, to his upcoming attacks on Democrats running for office in the mid-term elections, he has decided to reincarnate Joe McCarthy by warning against the “Communists” among us. He blew his opportunity during this milestone semi-quincentennial celebration to present shared moments of unity around principles of this democracy to self-aggrandize once more. During his speech, he talked about America being diminished before him and revived by him

It was bad enough to fashion the 250th national celebration into his own image and likeness, with sycophants risking heat and thunderstorms for a tribute to himself, where he asserted he gets larger audiences than Elvis in his prime. He had little respect for his followers while he babbled on about his “third term,” which it wasn’t because of a stolen election, and his effort to have the federal government unconstitutionally control elections, which are the constitutional prerogative of the   states.

Regrettably, he is the very example of a leader who spits on the Constitution. Freedom of the Press has been attacked mercilessly by his lies, and religion is on the brink of being coopted by government, the very fear of the Patriots of old when they made freedom of religion a First Amendment priority, along with a free press. 

Mr. Trump has attacked the judiciary when it disagrees with him, turned the justice department into a juggernaut against his political enemies, fired Generals whose first loyalty was to us, the people, rather than to him, handed out pardons for money, and gutted both the Inspector General officers who were the independent watchdogs in governmental departments to root out fraud and bribery, and the Office of Public Integrity, a post-Watergate creation designed to prosecute corruption when he got rid of 25 out of 30 of its lawyers. Civil service protection was stripped from 8,000 senior government officials, the people who were most likely to witness and report official conduct. 

Unlike his predecessors in office, he has made $2 billion for himself and his family through deals that anyone would recognize as a conflict of interest. It is ironic that President Trump was the Commander-in-Chief to speak on the anniversary of our rights, which he actively seeks to curtail.

Fortunately, WE, THE PEOPLE, get the last word this November.