As I sat watching these masked men march in Washington D.C. to celebrate the 250th anniversary of this experiment in democracy called America, I couldn't help but think how much this country has come full circle, and not in a good way. The images of those racists MAGA Incels marching proudly around the District was reminiscent of those marches sponsored by the Klu Klux Klan, which drew over thirty to forty thousand proud unmasked participants in August of 1925, and again in September of 1926.
If you are a true believer in America, and the promise of what America can and should be, this had to have been disheartening to you. If you are a jaded skeptic like me, it was not surprising at all. The brazen ignorance and naivety of those who willfully turn a blind eye to Trump and his MAGA movement,and what they are trying to create in America, contributed to what we are seeing now. I blame them as much for those Patriot Front marchers, as I do the die hard MAGA voter, who voted for Trump three times. This is the America Trump wants. It's why he is only giving refugee status to White South Africans, who were living normal middle class lives in South Africa, and who only wanted to get away from a country ruled by blacks.
It's why Trump has ordered his administration, through executive orders and directives, to erase all aspects of Black history in national parks, federal museums, public schools, the military, and every other institution that they can control. It's why Trump and his supporters can openly disparage non- English speaking people and immigrants of color, and mask it under the guise of patriotism. For the record, there is nothing patriotic about being a racist piece of shit.
So yesterday, instead of fireworks, and barbecues, I kicked back and watched some World Cup soccer, played tennis in a league I belong to, and went for a walk by a lake in my subdivision. I was not in a mood to celebrate. Yes, two hundred and fifty years is a milestone of sorts, and I am glad we made it this far. But given what I have come to see and expect over the years from those we share this country with, I would be very surprised if we make it to another two hundred and fifty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bgxBhz4rxs
ReplyDeleteAnthony Vincent Gallo tells the sad tale of Sister Letty, a Black nun/nurse who was picked up by ICE for looking African on her way to mass.
My wife and I had a disagreement about flying Old Glory and celebrating this year. Just because my wife wants to fit in with our suburban neighbors she asked me to put the American flag up.
ReplyDeleteI said no, but I would fly it upside down. She shot down that idea. So we didn't have any decorations up for the Fourth. All the while our very civilian- never served in the military- neighbors dressed up their yards and houses like George Washington had rose from the dead and was coming to visit.
I want one of them to ask why I was the odd man out. I want to tell them my "patriotism" consisted of 21 years in the military. Yeah, I've grown up and realized I wasted my time.
Being forced to recite the" Pledge" every school day does not make one a patriot.
ReplyDelete“If you are a true believer in America, and the promise of what America can and should be, this had to have been disheartening to you. If you are a jaded skeptic like me, it was not surprising at all.”
ReplyDeleteWhat has been surprising to me over the last decade is not the existence of the segment of the populace who are racist, who I was well aware of, but the additional segment who are merely economically illiterate and “civically ignorant.” If Americans are supposed to have core beliefs that we all share, those should include support for democracy and basic civil liberties. These are drilled into Americans basically since birth, in school and in the culture more generally. How often have we lectured other countries on the importance of these things?
And yet, it is readily apparent that a large number of Americans simply do not care about them. How else can you explain their willingness to enable and assist the racists by also throwing their votes to a would-be dictator? How else do we get to a place where people wrongly believe Joe Biden made prices go up, and so it’s fine if democracy gets cancelled in order to fix it?
It’s all so incredibly dumb.
It should go without saying that you do not lend your democratic vote to a candidate who wants to dismantle democracy. This is not hard. It is very much a “you had one job” scenario.
DeleteThis photo is capturing the mood of the moment for a lot of Americans.
ReplyDeleteTotally.
Delete-Doug in Sugar Pine
Yesterday a fife and drum corps marched up our little rural country road, so some folks seemed to remember what day it was.
ReplyDeleteOther countries also expressed goodwill for the country we used to be:
https://digbysblog.net/2026/07/05/figures/
-Doug in Sugar Pine
Khary Penebaker
ReplyDelete@kharyp
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Nothing says “I love America” like misquoting the Declaration of Independence on live TV and then pretending the fake quote proves everyone else hates the country.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
What about Fergus' goon squads Laura?:
ReplyDeleteLaura Ingraham
@IngrahamAngleFollow
I call fake. Looks more like Antifa in costume. No one should be allowed to cover their faces
-Doug in Sugar Pine
Field, as usual, your comment on this subject is Excellent! The jealousy towards God's first and greatest creation has caused 400 years of subjugation ie:
ReplyDeleteself hatred, slavery, discrimination, Jim crow, overt racism, systemic racism, unequal employment opportunities, kept out of construction, kept out of master plumbing, kept out of master electrician, kept out corporate offices, passed over for promotions but then required to "train their bosses," deliberately being given lower wages to make sure that equality never happens...bamboozled into unnecessary higher interest rates on loans, coonery& buffoonery, falling victim to being divided and conquered, grinning, being bobble heads and sell outs...all for a seat at the table of an opressor.
Didn't God say that everyone is created in his image and that "whatsoever one does to the least of their brothers that they do unto him?" ...and yet they still "claim" to love God????
Howdy, Mr. Field! Especially in these beyond weird times, so glad your blog continues speaking truth to power.
ReplyDeleteWas in my early teens 1976, so very proud of the American promise. Fast forward to this 250th birthday, with what a segment of the electorate deems its misguided march back to pre-civil rights years, my stance is a determined "we are not going back."
The American birthday gift is forthcoming. Basically, these setbacks paving the way for We, the People's comeback.
You heard it from Faith & Fairness~
Good to hear from you.
DeletePlanned Parenthood is getting federal money again. Sometimes their incompetence is a good thing.
ReplyDelete-Doug in Sugar Pine
Thank you for the info. I’ve definitely picked up something new from right here.
ReplyDeleteThe photos of the masked incels in DC made me oddly hopeful. In the Klan photo the men are not masked; they have no issue whatsoever in being easily identified by anyone seeing them. The average "Patriot Front" member, in contrast, fears being doxxed and ending up jobless and publicly shamed for bigotry and racism. Times have changed despite the efforts of Mango Mussolini and other racists to roll the clock back to the 1850s.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.mediaite.com/media/news/hunter-bidens-takedown-of-trump-family-for-grifting-gets-fact-checked-by-grok-and-largely-holds-up/
ReplyDeleteTo all of those that voted for this, and to all of those that didn't vote at all:
ReplyDelete"If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem."
Remember...VOTING MATTERS!
If it didn't MATTER then they wouldn't be trying their damndest to keep a certain segment of the population fron VOTING!