13 Comments on “Happy Independence Day”

1. Also:

   https://twitter.com/scalzi/status/1411721315086708738

   (If you don’t want to click through: “I have a good life in the United States; I’m grateful for it. This Independence Day, what I want most for my country is for it to give to all of its people the same opportunities and privileges it gives me. I pledge to work to make this country a place where that can happen.”)

2. I’m grateful for what I inherited, that from the imperfections of the founding fathers, and the imperfect documents, they left us a way to build better, and however so slowly, we have. I’m grateful we can point out all the imperfections, we can demand change, and generally not go to prison for it. I joke that when I’m perfect, I’m sure someone else will point it out. Till then, I think I’m in rather good company.

3. This live version of America is AMAZING.

   https://youtu.be/Pq98n2j75XA

4. I love the live version…

   https://youtu.be/Pq98n2j75XA

5. I remember this one. “Starfish and Coffee” is an old fave of mine.

   “Sign ‘O The Times” is great, plus many more.

   Talented man!

6. :) You too!

7. We have the best chance of any country to really be free, get to work people and make it happen.

   Happy 4th folks.

8. It so happens that I lived in MN (Minneapolis or St. Paul) for the most enduring part of the Little Guy’s career, as well as the beginnings of its decline (i.e., the involvement with Tim Burton’s Batman and thereafter). I moved back east with three Prince-related artifacts: the official, bright yellow floppy-disk rendering of his “symbol” name, sent to newspaper editorial offices everywhere in 1992 or so; three 90-minute cassettes of bootlegs circa 1989; and the 12-inch maxi-single release of “America”.

9. Ribs, grilled carne asada tacos, burgers, hot links, crab pasta salad, mac & cheese, greens, strawberry peach lemonade (for adults) and more.
   The centerpiece was the best and most buttery lemon glazed pound cake you ever did see.
   We stuffed our faces and dragged ourselves to a nearby park to watch fireworks from our car.

   All throughout the day, we did what we always do and pretended that all of the patriotic songs and sentiments blaring from everywhere were about us, too.

   We pretended that, rather than being responsible for cooking and serving ID4 goodies to our masters and their guests, we’d have been chomping on said goodies and enjoying the festivities right along with them.

   Like many black folks, we have a complicated relationship with America, its flag and its ideals.

   While I am and will always be grateful to have been born and raised in a nation where, in theory, I can’t legally be murdered for being female or outspoken, I will always wish I’d been born and raised somewhere where I can’t legally be murdered for being brown and alive.

10. The video is region-locked; so those of us in other countries (yes, we do exist!) can’t see it – so I don’t know what song it is….

    Can anyone clarify, please?

11. @JamesRT, the video doesn’t work for me either, and I’m in the same country as our host. But based on the comments, I’m guessing that it’s a version of Prince’s America, if perhaps not the live performance that Ray Cornwall linked to.

12. As for patriotism, as for feeling membership, I think it is an individual responsibility to feel membership by any means necessary.

    Sure, one might feel alienated, at first, like moving from the bush to a city full of city slickers, or from a city to a corny small town, or to a new campus with a radically different culture, or as a nerd surrounded by “normies.”

    Two brothers in Boston had good enough friends that when the friends saw their faces on the news, they went to the brother’s apartment and threw evidence in the dumpster. Too bad the brothers, before the Boston Marathon, didn’t link friendship skills and social skills and a determination to feel American by any means necessary.

13. Sure hope this isn’t implying what it appears to be implying.