In the south, America's birthday is a bigger deal than it is perhaps anywhere else in the country. The air is warmer and the picnics and the fireworks shows are bigger. It's easy for someone who has grown up viewing the Fourth with as much excitement as Christmas to see why it is important that we celebrate America's birthday. But what about people who see Independence Day as "just another day?" Will they ever grasp the Fourth of July spirit? For any Independence Day skeptics out there, especially those of you who are still in college, here's why we should try our hardest to treat the Fourth of July like it's a real holiday.
The late historical scholar, Dr. James Baumgardner, once said, "How can I complain about the system? It's been good to me." The truth is, the American system has been better to some individuals than others, but, as college students in America, the system has at least been pretty good to us. We've been given an opportunity to experience something that only a small fraction of people get to experience -- education above the 12th-grade level. That kind of freedom and privilege is something to celebrate, especially if you are a woman. In many parts of the world, women still remain totally uneducated.
I realize that I come from the part of the country where flags wave and people often use the word "America" as a means to oppress people from other nations, but America still has a lot to celebrate. Many recent Supreme Court cases have held consistent with the freedoms we cherish such as speech, press, assembly and even religion. Freedom and independence are not exactly the same, but they are synonymous. In the Revolutionary War, we were not just fighting for independence from Britain, we were fighting for the freedoms that come with independence, as well.
As an educated person, it's easy to want to fall into the trap of wondering why we should celebrate our nation's history. Not every part of our history has been particularly bright, but America is home to lots of people with dreams and good intentions. It has been, and continues to be, the home of people who love their country more than they love themselves. They want to make the country a safer and more equal place for generations to come. For millennials who want that same thing, it can seem at times like we are headed in the exact opposite direction. However, that's why we need to continue to celebrate our nation. We don't stand a chance of changing something we're constantly pessimistic about.
