The 4th of July: What We Were Meant to Celebrate—and How We’re Failing It

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #370

No, My Calendar Isn’t Screwy

I know we have a couple of weeks left until the 4th of July, 2025. I do.

I also know how busy people get with friends and family around the 4th, so I decided to write this now.

Every year, Americans light up the skies on July 4th. Barbecues. Fireworks. Flags. Red… white…and blue napkins. And for a few hours…the country feels like it’s come together to celebrate something sacred.

But what exactly are we celebrating?

Too few stop to ask that. And even fewer live like they know the answer.

What July 4th Really Means

July 4, 1776, wasn’t about victory. It wasn’t about fireworks or waving flags. It was about declaring a commitment to freedom—in full view of the most powerful empire on earth.

Fifty-six men signed a document that amounted to a death sentence if they lost.

The Declaration of Independence was treason. They knew it. They signed anyway.

They were affirming a radical idea: That government’s only legitimacy comes from the people. That rights don’t come from monarchs or armies—but are inherent, unalienable, and divine.

That no matter how mighty the king…no matter how vast the empire…a free people had the right to say:

“We do not consent. We choose liberty.”

That’s what July 4th marks—the beginning of the American idea…not its completion.

We Weren’t a Perfect Union—But We Declared the Right to Build One

Let’s be real: America in 1776 was a nation riddled with contradiction.

The same document that proclaimed “all men are created equal” was signed by slaveholders. Women had no voice. Native lands were being colonized.

But that doesn't make the 4th meaningless.

It makes it challenging.

Because the ideals of July 4th were aspirational—not descriptive. They weren't saying America had already become free for all.

They were saying it must be.

And that made the Declaration not a pat on the back…but a dare.

A dare for future generations to live up to it.

Where We Are Failing Today

Fast forward nearly 250 years.

We’ve fought wars…passed amendments…marched in the streets. We’ve extended the vote…expanded rights…and built one of the most powerful democracies in human history.

But somewhere along the way, we forgot something crucial:

Democracy doesn’t run on autopilot. Freedom doesn’t maintain itself.

Today, many Americans think that July 4th is about hot dogs…pool parties…and buying stuff made in China.

They’ll cheer for liberty while supporting censorship. They'll toast to independence while sleepwalking through surveillance and disinformation.

And that’s the problem.

We celebrate the appearance of freedom…not the practice of it.

We’ve Subcontracted Our Citizenship

How many Americans can name their representatives?

How many vote in every election? Or show up at city council? Or read legislation before forming opinions?

We’ve replaced participation with performance. We share memes…not policies. We rage-tweet instead of organize. (I’m guilty of both. I’m not saying we can’t/shouldn’t do those things; but we have to go much further than that.)

We shout “freedom!” while letting unelected billionaires and AI-driven algorithms do our thinking for us.

We’ve subcontracted our civic duty to influencers…pundits…and political theater. And then we wonder why our democracy feels like it’s unraveling.

We Confuse Patriotism with Party Loyalty

Here’s the bitter truth: too many Americans have replaced love of country with loyalty to a party or a politician.

But patriotism isn’t blind obedience. It’s not rallying behind one man or one tribe. It’s the constant demand that our country be better—more fair…more free…more just.

You can’t claim to love the Constitution and then support efforts to overturn elections.

You can’t wave the flag and then ignore when that flag is used to trample others.

You can’t honor July 4th while cheering on book bans…voter suppression…or threats of martial law.

That’s not patriotism. That’s propaganda.

The Founders Weren’t Just Rebels—They Were Thinkers

We forget that the Revolution wasn’t driven by emotion alone. It was philosophical.

Men like Jefferson…Adams…Franklin…and Hamilton weren’t just rabble-rousers. They were students of Enlightenment ideas—Locke..Montesquieu…Rousseau.

They built a system designed not to trust power, but to check it.

They wrote protections not for the majority—but against it.

And they never imagined a future where Americans would surrender those protections voluntarily…in exchange for party slogans and authoritarian promises.

To honor the Founders is to question power constantly…not worship it blindly.

What Celebrating the 4th Should Look Like Today

If you want to celebrate July 4th in 2025, pause the sparkler for a moment and ask:

How am I keeping the promise of 1776 alive?

Because you don’t honor the Declaration of Independence just by waving a flag.

You honor it by:

• Voting in every election—local, state, and federal.

• Demanding accountability from those in power.

• Standing up for the rights of those unlike you.

• Learning civics—not just slogans.

• Challenging disinformation—even when it comforts you.

• Participating actively in the shaping of your community and country.

We don’t need more pageantry. We need more patriots. Real patriots.

Not the ones wearing red…white..and blue to the bar—but the ones walking into town halls…school board meetings…and voter registration drives.

This Is Your Fight Now

Let’s stop pretending July 4th is a finished story.

It’s an invitation—to take the ideals of liberty, equality, and consent of the governed, and carry them forward with more clarity and courage than those who came before.

And here’s the good news: we can still win.

The same spirit that beat a king still lives inside millions of Americans who refuse to be distracted…divided…or demoralized.

You want to honor July 4th? Get loud. Get clear. Get involved.

Our ancestors picked up muskets for this fight. All we have to do is pick up our phone…our pen…our ballot.

Don't Just Celebrate—Continue

This Independence Day, don’t just celebrate freedom.

Continue it.

The 4th of July isn’t just a birthday. It’s a challenge. And in 2025, it may be the most important one of our lives.

Democracy isn’t dying because the enemies are too strong.

It’s dying because too many of us forgot it needed defending.

Let’s change that.

Because when fireworks fade and the charcoal cools…the real celebration begins—not in what we remember…but in what we’re still willing to fight for.

I’ll be back soon!

Warmly,

Jack