When the Constitution was ratified, there was no standing army. It was obvious that our national defense was going to come from well regulated militias as they are mentioned in the document.
The country was not founded as a military entity, and that was made clear by making the president a civilian, and only the commander in chief of the “army” in time of war.
England had a standing army, a natural product of how European countries had been established by warring monarchs who entered battle and then sought to protect their prize, but this country was founded by its citizens and a declaration of nationhood, so the colonies hadn’t liked that European method, so a standing army was not considered good for the civilian country.
Elbridge Gerry, our fifth vice-president, compared a standing army to a penis when, in arguing against the country having one he said,
“An excellent assurance of domestic tranquility, but a dangerous temptation to foreign adventure.”
It was only after the war of 1812 that a standing army was established.
In writing to Abigail Adams about the vote of the Second Continental Congress to declare Independence, John Adams, referring to the day of the actual vote, wrote,
“But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Two days later, the Declaration was made public, and along with those things Adams foresaw, we have since added low prices on household items, especially large appliances and bedding, and, in total disconnect to the events around the Declaration and the Constitution, in recent years we have added a heavy dose of the military.
One thing that annoys me about the current state of affairs is the emphasis put on the military as the proof of patriotism and loyalty to the country, as if those things that work to bring about peace, educate the citizenry, and better the lives of citizens aren’t.
It is military creep, and it really annoys me each July when they broadcast the gathering at the capitol of huge bands, orchestras, singers, actors, and members of the armed forces to celebrate a very military celebration of a civilian holiday.
I remember the days of local parades with the police and fire departments marching along with high school bands, local social organizations, veteran groups, churches, and all interspersed with floats that showed more heart than expertise.
The military took its place along with all members of the community, but was not the star.
This would not annoy me if there were no parades, so there had to have been parades.
Later there would be fireworks in a number of towns, and even so today.
If you live where I do and get a good vantage point, you can watch the fireworks from the towns that sit along the edge of Buzzards Bay from Cape Cod to the South Coast of Massachusetts until the local ones finally go off over New Bedford Harbor.
So, it should come as no surprise to those who might feel as I do and those who definitely don’t that there are annual celebrations of the Fourth of July in many towns and cities, and definitely in Washington DC.
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And that would be our president and the Commander in Chief, Donald J Trump.
Being the uber-patriot that he is, he has decided America needs a new tradition that celebrates the country’s birthday, and he is the one to start it.
He explained his idea of the event that never happened before,
“We’re thinking about doing, on the 4th of July or thereabouts, a parade, a ‘Salute to America’ parade. I guess it’d be really more of a gathering than a parade. Perhaps at the Lincoln Memorial. We’re looking at sites. But we’re thinking about doing something that would, perhaps, become a tradition.”
A major objection to his failed Veterans Day dictatorship style military parade was cost, but Trump has found a way to reduce that cost in his first ever celebration of the 4th of July. The fireworks will be free.
“The fireworks (are) there anyway, so we just saved on fireworks. We get free fireworks because it’s already being done. So, that’s very good.”
Those free fireworks are the ones on Independence Day in downtown Washington DC that someone had been paying for since fireworks were first used in the already existing celebration.
Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt would take charge of the event, but realistically, it would seem his only job would be to point at the parade and fireworks and say, “look!”.
A spokesperson for the Interior Department has stated,
“Salute to America is a great idea. We are working diligently to present the best options to the White House.”
The White House explained that the president wants to begin a new tradition because
“President Trump loves America and wants to help all Americans celebrate our nation’s independence on July 4.”
Washington DC’s 4th of July parade goes through the heart of downtown Washington, and includes invited bands, fife and drum corps, floats, military and specialty units, giant balloons, equestrians, drill teams, VIP’s, national dignitaries, and celebrity participants, and smaller parades take place in DC’s neighborhoods.
So would his parade replace what he thinks does not exist?
Would Trump simply claim the existing parades and fireworks as his?
Or would Trump’s parade take place in front of, behind, or on streets parallel to the one he does not know about?
Rumor has it that if this is successful, he plans to invent Thanksgiving.