34 Comments
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Diana Cuneo's avatar

Thank you. A repulsive party celebrating the filthy treatment of the indigenous and the enslaved. If one more deranged asshole texts me "happy 4th of july" this morning my elderly gray haired head is going to explode.

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Pissed Off In WI's avatar

First, thank you for that release! It took me time to collect my breath and wipe away the tears so that I could fully absorb your writing. Your voice is everything that I have been feeling about our country for sometime! I will not be celebrating today. Nor will I in the near future! My privilege affords me the ability to fight for injustices and I will continue to do that until I take my last breath. I recently discovered you, and I’m so happy you’re here!

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DocArch's avatar

I celebrate you and will likewise use my privilege to wipe out some of this shit for our sons who will have to deal with stuff for their children if we don't what we can. Happy you are here.

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Madelyn L Thompson's avatar

Brilliantly written and thought.

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Soren's avatar

Not celebrating today because a certain portion of the population wants to kill my mother for simply being who she is. And by extension, these same people want to kill me for not being purely snowy white.

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DocArch's avatar
4dEdited

Hear you Soren. It's getting to feel more and more like the intelligent people are listening to Stacey and putting the word out. Never again.

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Allison White's avatar

Your words always express so powerfully and eloquently what is spinning around in my head and heart. I arrived in DC yesterday, right as the vote for the Big Ugly Bill was happening. We stood on the corner between the Capitol and the Cannon Building to watch legislators walk back to their offices. There were some protestors, but lots of mostly white tourists wearing red, white, and blue, appearing to be blissfully unconcerned about further harms being enacted by elected representatives. It felt so strange to see the 4th of July decorations when what is being celebrated is decaying and disintegrating right in front of us. I'm spending my 4th at the Beyonce concert in Maryland among a community of people who lift up and honor every individual's pursuit of happiness. Thank you for this Frederick Douglass 2025 Remix.

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DocArch's avatar

Sad that these people don't know what they are celebrating. Enjoy your concert. Spread the word. Pursuit will be in the ballots from now until the day we die.

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Evan's avatar

Every bit of this. Every single bit. I haven’t celebrated the 4th for a while now and never plan on celebrating again.

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Sher McF's avatar

EVER ........!!!

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Sharon McElroy's avatar

Dr. P gone and drop the mic!

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Joosey's avatar

So happy I’m going to be in a plane, flying from SF to NYC to handle some important business this weekend. I don’t want to see a single firework display.

And you’re absolutely correct: they do want the death of as many people as possible. The ghost of the genocide the country was founded on is going to keep pushing through, keep destroying the country until it’s finally dealt with. The only question I’ve been asking myself for years is: How much death and destruction is it going to take until enough people realize what’s happening? How long how long will the white supremacist delusion of exceptionalism continue to hold?

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DocArch's avatar

I hear you as I sit at my desk. Working on a piece about how most of the white-collar crime in America is committed by middle-class employed white men like the BFUBB. I tried to do a deep dive on the number of white males in Congress. Guess what? Can't find that effing information without doing a deep dive. They are ashamed of the truth. They want to hide. That's it. They want to hide. Your shit is deep. Keep it up!

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Susan Jasneski's avatar

It’s sad and frustrating but 100% factual! Today is just like any other day for me. I’m not celebrating shit. There’s nothing to be celebrated.

I loathe listening to fireworks that petrify my dog.

I’m so disgusted with this country and I always said from day 1 of this regime that they want us dead.

It’s just a matter of time now, I have multiple health issues and just like so many other people, the bill they passed feels like a death sentence.

Thank you for speaking the truth!

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Velde Hobson's avatar

I stopped celebrating the 4th of July many years ago once I became aware of what it truly is. As a matter of fact, I don't celebrate any of the colonizers holidays!

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Rhena Ferguson's avatar

Being born in the Virgin Islands of the US and knowing the history of it, July 4th means absolutely nothing to me since we (Virgin Islanders) means nothing to the US. The enslaved on the island, my ancestors, were emancipated July 3, 1848, that's the day I honor.

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CMH's avatar
4dEdited

The ideals kept me fighting to change reality. Not to erase the past, or ignore the evils, but to do better. To listen, learn, advocate. To take nothing for granted.

Because my Grandmother sent a spatula at my Uncle's head for using one word.

No more celebrating July 4. No more fireworks... my dog doesn't need that nonsense.

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Allison White's avatar

Your words always express so powerfully and eloquently what is spinning around in my head and heart. I arrived in DC yesterday, right as the vote for the Big Ugly Bill was happening. We stood on the corner between the Capitol and the Cannon Building to watch legislators walk back to their offices. There were some protestors, but lots of mostly white tourists wearing red, white, and blue, appearing to be blissfully unconcerned about further harms being enacted by elected representatives. It felt so strange to see the 4th of July decorations when what is being celebrated is decaying and disintegrating right in front of us. I'm spending my 4th at the Beyonce concert in Maryland among a community of people who lift up and honor every individual's pursuit of happiness. Thank you for this Frederick Douglass 2025 Remix.

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Janie Starr's avatar

I stopped celebrating this lie of a holiday in my twenties - it feels like the perfect opportunity to protest the bullshit. Thank you for calling it out. Before I listened to your post, I listened to Charles Douglas speak about the wealthy and the responsibility of wealthy folks in blue cities like Seattle - it’s payback time baby. I am so fired up and ready to roll and so grateful to you both for the push. https://youtu.be/QcB3rBP4OcI

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Sher McF's avatar

EXTREMELY Relevant for ...#TheDayAfter......

Thank you Dr.Stacey

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