Growing up along the Mexican border, I never experienced July 4th as a celebration of “our forefathers” who brought us freedom. Ironically, although there is an Army base where I was raised, I didn’t feel any of the patriotism that comes with celebrating Fourth of July in many other parts of the country. The holiday was a time to get together for a family BBQ, to play soccer with my cousins, and to catch the fireworks show at a country club golf course. Not once do I remember anyone referring to what we were supposed to be celebrating–patriotism/democracy/freedom.
Exposure to other parts of the country in my adulthood showed me a different side of July 4th, and it never helped me feel any more rooted either to the American Revolution, the white men responsible for creating this country, much less to how our country continues “defending” our freedom. On the contrary, living under the Patriot Act and the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 has proven that our “independence day” is a complete farce. Layer in the past and continued marginalization of our black, indigenous, and other POC, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities in the name of settler colonialism and capitalism. Now, you have the perfect formula for a fascist American state that bamboozles people into believing that its citizens are safe as long as its military crusades around the world keep the big, bad wolves away from home shores.
As the hours ticked away this Fourth of July, all I could think of was how much I don’t care to treat it as anything special. Us “Americans”1 are left with an individualistic society that is happy to keep consuming our creature comforts. If we’re not hurt, after all, why do we need to worry about what’s happening around the globe? Why make waves if we have the benefit of living a prosperous life that affords us the privileges of accessing fruitful careers, safe homes, a “free” education, and advanced healthcare? These are big questions that require such detailed responses and analyses, which can’t happen in this blog post alone. Be assured that other entries will follow answering these questions in more depth. This current post serves as an opening to these issues.
The U.S. continues to be the shadow behind destabilizing events that happen around the world, and its citizens tend to be oblivious to this truth. Ignorance is bliss, right? Don’t worry; be happy! Don’t rock the boat and make waves! Like most imperialist, fascist states, the mainstream U.S. media (the government’s 4th arm) is content to encourage the celebration of our military’s assistance in toppling “dictatorships” and other tyrannical governments. All the while, our government uses our military (yes, it’s ours funded by our taxes, unfortunately) to support apartheid and settler colonialism across the world as much as at home. It’s a zero-sum game–what can the U.S. get out of the relationship, at the expense of another country’s citizens? And don’t be critical of any of this. It’s us vs. them. We’re on the good side; they’re evil.
If you can’t think of an example, here’s one: Palestine. The recent uprising mere weeks ago has already fallen off the map for so many U.S. citizens, but Palestinians are still struggling to hold on to their homes and their sacred land (this open letter helps contextualize their struggle)…much like our Indigenous nations here in the U.S. who continue to fight for their rights to their ancient homes and sacred land. These are both centuries-long movements. They rise to the surface of mainstream consciousness once in a blue moon, but in between the struggles have not died.
Palestinians, in fact, were key to beginning a relationship of solidarity between AIM (the American Indian Movement) and the Black Panthers during the Civil Rights’ Movement of the 1960s. Black Lives Matter of Broward explains more here including how they are in solidarity with Palestinians. In other words, it’s not a new idea to support Palestinians in their cause. One way Palestinians have helped our activists fighting in the U.S. is sharing how to respond to and protect themselves from ever-increasing militaristic police tactics, such as the tear-gassing of nonviolent protesters.
This decades-long partnership between Palestine and our own uprisings serves to highlight that we are not alone in fighting settler colonialism and the fascist state. They have not forgotten about us. We cannot forget about them. It also reminds us that we cannot let our own government censor us from the truth. Most importantly, we can’t continue living in an individualistic society; we must gather as a collectivist community that stands by and for each other.
What does this mean? Well, it means we must DO BETTER no matter what we’re already doing. First, pinkwashing (thank you, Cirien Saadeh, for linking this in your open letter) and greenwashing cannot stand in the way of us demanding an end to apartheid in Palestine, as well as a sovereign state for Palestinians. We can also fully support the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanctions) Movement. If you’re not sure what to buy or support instead, please refer to the list at the end of this post.
Above all, we cannot continue to allow our government (and others) to wipe away all the horrors they commit by pacifying us with empty celebrations in the name of “defending democracy and freedom” by encouraging us to dress up in red, white, and blue while waving our flags to the drum of patriotic music with firework-stars in our eyes. If we want to do more than amplify BIPOC voices…if we want to help all our BIPOC, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities live a life of liberty and justice for all…if we want for our “independence day” to truly stand for independence…then let’s wake up and each do our part to dismantle the old and create a healthy, accessible society for all.
Products to boycott:
- Ahava Organics: These skincare products, made with minerals from the Dead Sea, are produced in Mitzpe Shalem, a town in the occupied West Bank.
- Consider buying Acure instead, another vegan, natural, organic skincare company.
- Sabra and Tribe Hummus: Both hummus companies are owned or co-owned by pro-zionist orginization that directly donate or raise money for the Israeli Defense Force, Jewish National Fund, and Golani Brigade.
- Consider buying Athenos Hummus instead or even try making your own.
- HP and HPE: This tech company, mostly known for their printers and ink cartridges, maintains the Israeli Immigration Department and police’s data bases on Palenstine citizens in the occupied territories and supplies them with survelience and identification technology.
- Consider buying from Brother Industries, another printer company with strong emphasis on non-harmful production policies and voted “Most ethical tech company” by The Ethical Company Organization.
Footnote
1 “Americans” is in quotation marks because many people who live in other parts of the Americas (outside the U.S.) consider themselves Americans, such as much of Latin America. Therefore, we use “U.S. citizens” to refer to people living in that country.
The Wobble 