Not being American I always found the whole thing very creepy. Like, North Korean military parade-creepy.

For the record, we don't have anything like that where I'm from, but the closest things we do have are also very creepy. Patriotism in general is extremely not cool, honestly.

It's been decades since I've cared about the 4th as an actual holiday. Now it's just a day that I don't have to work.

Celebrating America hasn't been something to be proud of since before 2001. We had a couple of high points during Obama, but nothing that tipped the scales.

I'm personally disgusted by this place, and anytime I see someone with an American flag anywhere on their person or property, I immediately assume they're a conservative and I think lesser of them. I know that this isn't a reality, but that is what the American flag means to me, and I assume quite a few others.

why celebrate independence day?

it was supposed to be about gaining independence from tyranny.

We're back with kings and tyrants.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, but HOW THE FUCK could I EVER be proud of this country anymore??? We've done nothing to deserve respect or patriotism.

I'm a USAF vet. My ancestors literally fought in the revolutionary war, and signed The Declaration of Independence. I'm going through the motions this year, but I don't feel it at all. I'm pissed that we're multiple stages into a nazi regime. I'm profoundly flabbergasted at how anyone could be for this. How anyone that is for it, can't see that they're going to be the "out" party. Some already are seeing it.

I'm incredibly disappointed that the news has gotten so out of touch that they just rolled over and lapped up the rhetoric. Local news is all sunshine and rainbows while ICE kidnaps people, and a corrupt POtuS breaks the constitution left and right. While he deploys military against its own citizens. While rights are stripped, aided by a corrupt SCOTUS. While the rich get richer off of our backs. While the checks and balances are obliterated.

I haven't felt patriotic for July 4 since I was a teenager. And I grow more aliented every year.

What the fuck would I have to be proud of? The US has been on a downward trend for a long time and that's accelerating

Flags have become a warning over the last decade or so about the person waving it. It no longer has the hope of a better America, solidarity, or welcome; it’s a symbol of a myopic, selfish, aggro, uneducated person full of performative nationalism and real hatreds.

Our independence was supposed to free the people of kings and tyrants. It’s been 249 years since 1776, we have undone what the Constitution authors fought for.

State-level patriotism is always bullshit to begin with.

That's how you're tricked into loyalty based on the most arbitrary reasons.

Be the messenger of humanity and get curious about the Universe. People are brothers, and there's no pride in being born in one plot of land over the other.

I haven't "celebrated" the fourth in nearly a decade for this reason. On top of that fireworks are pretty bad for everything and those with PTSD.

I’ve never been more ashamed to be an American.

As an immigrant to the US, I've always found the blind patriotism commonplace here to be very strange. It feels even more alienating now than ever before.

Our country is under MAGA Nazis rule, and that is nothing to celebrate. Independence Day should be a Day of Resistance, until the MAGA Nazis lose their control.

Havent felt proud to be an American in a long while. I'm proud of loving thy neighbor as myself, not lining the pockets of billionaires. I hate that I'm powerless to do much. Representative democracy? My ass. No one represents me. They're all aristocrats. "it's one banana, Michael. What could it cost, $10?"

I'm not bitter about it at all. /s

Kinda interesting how you US-Americans have a certain day for being even more patriotic than the average US-patriotism rest of the time. As a German I personally haven't felt patriotic at any point in my life and most of the people I know (probably more left-leaning than German average) always looked at your patriotism (espacially on July 4th) with a certain lack of understanding. Why even be patriotic? Why always raise the US-flag? Why are there Florida men running through hurricanes with an US-flag? I know independence and stuff, but still why celebrate your patriotism even more on a specific date, even as a more left-leaning person?

What, exactly, should I be proud of?

A nation that is moving backwards on human rights, increasing wealth inequality, and got really “mask off” about supporting genocide. A nation that is inherently dysfunctional and wreathed in corruption.

I think that’s normal considering everything going on.

By the way, I live in the CA bay area. Interestingly I went grocery shopping today and no kidding -I felt like I was in a small town in the midwest or something. I looked around and it was mostly older white people shopping, like you couldn’t help but notice. I told my bf, wtf are we in Idaho or something lol this doesn’t feel like the bay area?

I think there’s a combination of people being tired of increasing inflation and burnt out by the barrage of shit going on in the news. I don’t imagine minorities, particularly immigrant families are feeling very patriotic right now. Or people are straight up worried about ICE kidnappings. Which by the way, I heard from a neighbor that ICE has been walking into the hospital she works at and waiting outside to snatch people. Terrible…

I've never felt patriotic. It's not like I chose to be here and, frankly, the more I learned about the rest of the world, the more I dislike about my own home.

Also fireworks are boring af unless you're manipulating them to be more dangerous and blowing things up. Like hammering down a whistler and tossing it into a porta potty where an ICE agent is taking a shit.

I believe you're supposed to fly a flag upside down in times of distress.

I think it would be wildly powerful for some cities to flip their flags for the 4th.

I'm going out to a march on the 4th of July. We're protesting for independence from America

I'm surprised there aren't massive protests scheduled for July 4.

Same I will be working on the 4th so I’ll just be making good hoilday pay while most of my trump supporting coworkers will be celebrating the downfall of this country. Fuck this shit, fuck everyone who is onboard with the current situation of this country. Stay safe everyone.

Going to be spending the 4th building guillotines in my garage

Being a Brit, for years I've jokingly referred to the 4th of July as 'Rebellion Day' to my USian friends. Not sure I'm joking any more, just hopeful. Go on. Rebel!

Canadian here and we celebrated the fuck out of our national holiday which just passed. We have a stronger feeling of solidarity than we've felt in a long time. Despite the threats of annexation and shifting tariffs, we are feeling more hopeful than we have in many years, possibly because we're making new friends in the global sandbox and coming into our own power now instead of constantly kowtowing to the USA in all matters.

Except a few folks in Alberta who would love to be part of the modern Nazi regime. Fuck them, tho.

People around the country have stood up to make change.

Our politicians haven't done good for the people.

Take back the power.

Join a No Kings March on July 4th

Celebrate the awesome people of this country, join in.

We want massive change. Politicians may act deaf to anything but money. The money flow changes when we stand together

I find it reassuring that some people are not proud of grabbing random people off the street to send them to their death with a smile.

I normally enjoy some fireworks every year, but have zero interest this year.

Aww. Please celebrate - don't give the orange turd the satisfaction of destroying yet more American culture. Also, I won't be happy posting my favourite annual meme: