July 4th Is In The Rearview Mirror

The Good and the Bad Share the Same Stage

Welcome Friends,

As people across these United States celebrated the 4th of July, many of us were filled with nostalgia and gratitude—for our families, our freedoms, and the lives we’ve been fortunate enough to live. The Declaration of Independence may have been the historic spark for this holiday, but in years past, it wasn’t always the main focus. Instead, the day meant family gatherings, barbecues, neighborhood parades, and fireworks under an open sky. It was a celebration of life in America—simple, joyful, and shared.

However, this 4th of July, the authoritarian regime chose to use the holiday not to honor freedom, but to take a grotesque victory lap—celebrating the passage of one of the most damaging pieces of legislation in American history. On a day meant to commemorate liberty, they instead marked the occasion by stripping away rights, consolidating power, gutting healthcare benefits, and deepening cruel immigration policies. It was a celebration not of independence, but of domination—a brutal reminder that the freedoms we once took for granted are being dismantled in plain sight.

The contrast could not be starker. As fireworks lit up the sky, the foundations of our democracy were being hollowed out below. A military flyover marked the signing of the big, ugly, and murderous bill—followed by a rally to amplify the message, as if this grotesque display of power were just another patriotic moment. As if this was normal.

As my son recently reminded me that the story of America, is hard to square - as told through history books, museums, and lived experience—and is not solely one of patriotic virtue, unity, or apple pie. Ours is a nation founded on contradictions. From the landing of the Mayflower and the theft of Indigenous lands, to the brutal institution of slavery that built fortunes for the few on the backs of the many, to the blood-soaked battlefields of the Civil War and the courageous resistance of the Civil Rights movement, just to name a few, our legacy includes cruelty, injustice, and deep divisions.

And yet, side by side with that darkness, there has always been light.

We have also witnessed extraordinary growth—scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, and a growing awareness of our impact on the planet. We’ve built safety nets for the vulnerable and extended generosity to people across the globe. Our country, under the leadership of charitable and compassionate and forward thinking minds has saved lives. We’ve nurtured great minds, championed education, and expanded opportunity. We’ve experienced poor leadership and great leadership, economic collapse and economic revival, foreign wars and hard-won peace. We have lived in the greatest country on earth.

Through it all, we’ve depended on one central promise; That we live in a nation of laws, anchored by the Constitution, safeguarded by three branches of government designed to check and balance each other—to ensure no one person, party, or ideology could seize unchecked power.

Until now.

That promise—the one that allowed the good to coexist with the bad, that let progress rise from pain—is now in grave danger. Not because of one man alone, but because of a growing movement that rejects the core principles of democratic governance, truth, and shared responsibility. Fear has become a political weapon, and in its shadow, the tyrannical is being normalized—disguised as policy. The guardrails are being tested. Some have already been shattered. Threats and bribery to push forward an unpopular and damaging agenda are now common place right before our eyes.

What comes next depends on us—on whether we keep looking away, confronting the truth of the moment we are in. History is being made and we know the pendulum always swings. There is hope in the midst of this madness if we remember the past. Step up to the plate and take that swing. It has been done before and we can do it again.

As always, I am reaching out to everyday Americans in my world, my sphere of influence - pay attention and to take this seriously. Each one of us can do something; Protest, write letters, call your representatives, volunteer to host rallies or support groups, find your people, know what is going on. It is not up to everyone else. It is up to each one of us.

The 4th of July is behind us. What lies ahead is up to you and me.