Fourth of July: It's Not For You, It's for US!

Fourth of July: It's Not For You, It's for Us!, 2019

In 2017, after attending France's Bastille Day parade, Donald Trump wanted his own parade. And, he said, we could "top [the French]." The military was against it. It would cost too much money, and for what? It was to be Trump's own personal victory parade.

Biding his time, in 2019, the president turned our non-political July 4th celebration on the National Mall into one more suited to his ego. July 4th, the United States' Independence Day, has traditionally been a non-partisan holiday, filled with parades, bands, and fireworks across the country. Instead, we got a military flyover and military parade down Constitution Avenue, costing millions of dollars, crowned by a speech by Trump at the Lincoln Memorial.

We could have better used the money to feed and find homes for the homeless, veterans, and asylum seekers on our border with Mexico. Veteran groups protested by handing out John McCain t-shirts at Trump’s rally. Trump had vilified Senator McCain many times, even after he died. And, many in Congress are still waiting for the $7,300,000 the Trump Inauguration Committee still owes the government.

Donald, July 4th is about our country, a celebration of what America should be about. It's not for you; it's for all of us.

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The posters in this series reflect the conflicts the American political system has been experiencing during the turbulent period between 2010-2020. They are meant to encourage an exploration and a dialogue about the cultural minefield we now find ourselves in.