July 4th: Chicagoland Celebrates 2nd Amendment

On the morning of July 4th, an Illinois firearms enthusiast joined Highland Park‘s small town Independence Day parade by firing his assault-style rifle at it, killing 6 fellow citizens outright and mangling the bodies of dozens of others, including children. An illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate urged citizens to “move on and … celebrate the independence of this nation.”

US gunshot deaths so far this year: 22,434.

God Bless America.

Update:

“7th Person Dies Day After Highland Park Parade Mass Shooting,” NBC 5 Chicago

More:

“Horror on the Fourth: Suspect in custody after 6 killed, dozens wounded at Highland Park Fourth of July parade,” Lynn Sweet, Manny Ramos, Elvia Malagón and Sophie Sherry, Chicago Sun-Times

“Guns Killed More Than 220 People Over July 4 Weekend Alone,” Alice Tecotzky, Daily Beast

“Marjorie Taylor Greene Tweets Predictably Fact-Free Theory About Highland Park Massacre,” Zachary Petrizzo, Daily Beast

“‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens,” The Onion

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America the Beautiful

“America the Beautiful,” a poem by Katharine Lee Bates set to a hymn by Samuel A. Ward, recorded by Ray Charles in 1972.

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America the Beautiful

“America the Beautiful,” a poem by Katharine Lee Bates set to a hymn by Samuel A. Ward, recorded by Ray Charles in 1972.

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Living in America

“Living in America,” written by Dan Hartman and Charlie Midnight, performed by James Brown in 1985. Featured in the 1985 movie Rocky IV.

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Oh Freedom!

“Oh Freedom!“, a traditional Spriritual, interpreted by The Golden Gospel Singers, 2011. Bob Singleton, founder.

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Frederick Douglas, July 4, 2020

“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”
— Frederick Douglass (ca. 1818 — 1895), a speech on the twenty-fourth anniversary of Emancipation in the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C. (April 1886)

This year, descendents of Frederick Douglass read his powerful 1852 Independence Day speech “What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?”

Related:

“How Black Lives Matter transformed the Fourth of July,” Peniel Joseph, CNN

“How Black Americans Co-opted the Fourth of July,” Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily

African American Fourth of July

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Top image (“Frederick Douglass, July 4, 2020” after an 1856 Ambrotype in the National Portrait Gallery) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Trump’s 4th of July Self-Celebration Cost Taxpayers Over $5 Million

“President Donald Trump’s Fourth of July celebration last week cost the federal government and Washington, D.C., $5.35 million, according to an Interior Department letter released exclusively to ABC News.

The National Park Service spent $2.45 million on staffing, medical services, barricades, and other logistics for the event, called Salute to America, which does not include the cost of other Fourth of July events like the Capitol Fourth concert.

The city of Washington, D.C., and Department of Defense said the Salute to America event and security cost $1.7 million and $1.2 million respectively, bringing the total cost of the event to $5.35 million.”

— “Trump’s Salute to America cost DC, feds more than $5 million,” Stephanie Ebb, ABC News

Between the $1.7 million in security costs for the “Salute to America” and the $7.3 million in security costs the 2017 Trump Inaugural Committee still owes the District of Columbia Government, DC’s security budget is bankrupt. If you attend any special events in DC from now on, you’re on your own.

Related:

“House Oversight Dems call on Trump to pay D.C. for Independence Day, inauguration,” Chris Marquette, Roll Call

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Independence Day Defiled

Americans have celebrated July 4th as the nation’s Independence Day since 1776.

No more. Today is a celebration of the Supreme Leader, who will personally harangue a cheering sea of red hats from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial this evening, conducting a political rally at enormous public expense. God Save America.

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Updates: Trump’s 4th of July Salute to Himself

Tomorrow, on July 4, 2019, Great Leader Donald J. Trump will personally harangue adoring red-hatted throngs from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The National Park Service has diverted at least $2.5 million meant to fund park repairs and maintenance to partially-cover expenses for these last-minute White House directives. Free tickets to this political but publicly-financed event have been gifted to GOP donors , Trump 2020 campaign staff, and Republican officials. The Commander-in-Chief has bidden the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the U.S. Army Band, the Armed Forces Chorus, and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon to entertain him, and demanded that US military chiefs stand next to him. And there will be tanks. A flyover by military jets and Air Force One will ground flights at Reagan National Airport for over an hour. Also grounded: the diaper-clad Trump Baby Balloon.

More:

“Trump plans ticketed-access area for VIPs, friends and family at July 4 celebration,” Peter Hermann, Michael E. Ruane and Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post

“RNC Receives VIP Tickets to Trump’s Fourth of July Celebration; DNC Does Not,” Maggie More, NBC4 Washington

“Trump Is Packing the July 4 Fireworks Because He’s Afraid of Getting Booed,” Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine

“How Trump’s 4th of July Hijacking Could Violate the Hatch Act,” Walter Shaub, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

“Proud Boys and Allies to Rally in D.C. to Capitalize on ‘Trumpstravaganza,’” Will Sommer, Daily Beast

“This Fourth of July, Trump will star in a movie of his own making,” Lloyd Green, The Guardian

“Trump’s July 4 Event Shaping Up To Be A Salute To Himself,” Josh Kovensky, TPM Muckraker

“‘They started this too late’: Trump officials and allies anxious about July 4 fest,” Nancy Cook, Politico

“Pentagon tells troops to say ‘I am proud of my job and my vehicle/tank’ during Trump July 4 event: report,” Marina Pitofsky, The Hill

“Trump says his generals are ‘thrilled’ with his Fourth of July salute. Their silence suggests otherwise.” Greg Jaffee, Washington Post

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4th of July: National Salute to Great Leader

Great Leader Donald J. Trump has proclaimed July 4, 2019 a national holiday honoring himself. The President will personally harangue adoring red-hatted throngs from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in a ticketed event. Tickets to this political but publicly-financed event are said to be free but apparently will be gifted to VIPs in secret since the White House and NPS websites have no information about them. July 4th prices at DC’s Trump Hotel have been raised. The Commander-in-Chief has commanded the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the U.S. Army Band, the Armed Forces Chorus, and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon to entertain him. A flyover by military jets and Air Force One will ground flights at Reagan National Airport for over an hour. Also possibly grounded: the diaper-clad Trump Baby Balloon.

More:

“Trump plans ticketed-access area for VIPs, friends and family at July 4 celebration,” Peter Hermann, Michael E. Ruane and Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post

“How Lincoln’s disdain for demagogues pricks Trump’s Fourth of July pomposity,” Sidney Blumenthal, The  Guardian

“Frederick Douglass would be outraged at Trump’s Fourth of July self-celebration,” Colbert I. King, Washington Post

Updates:

“Park Service diverts $2.5 million in fees for Trump’s July Fourth extravaganza,” By Juliet Eilperin ,
Josh Dawsey, and Dan Lamothe, Washington Post

“RNC Receives VIP Tickets to Trump’s Fourth of July Celebration; DNC Does Not,” Maggie More, NBC4 Washington

“Trump Is Packing the July 4 Fireworks Because He’s Afraid of Getting Booed,” Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine

“How Trump’s 4th of July Hijacking Could Violate the Hatch Act,” Walter Shaub, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

“Proud Boys and Allies to Rally in D.C. to Capitalize on ‘Trumpstravaganza,’” Will Sommer, Daily Beast

“Here Are All the Military Planes Flying at Trump’s 4th of July Military Parade,” Oriana Pawlyk, Military.com

“Two tanks in DC as Trump calls for military hardware in July 4 parade,” Rachel Frazen, The Hill

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