In one month, the United States will observe its 250th birthday. It is shaping up more like a memorial service for a lost loved one than a party to celebrate something special. Rather than anticipating a happy occasion, America at 250 is increasingly characterized by anger, name-calling and scandals.
Performers are withdrawing from President Trump’s Freedom 250 Great American State Fair in Washington, claiming organizers lied to them about its partisanship. Trump, who has contributed mightily to the growing divisions among us, is threatening to make a “major speech,” mostly to his MAGA crowd to fill the vacuum left by those who have withdrawn. Is there anything new he could say that we haven’t heard dozens, perhaps thousands of times before? Would his rhetoric be uplifting, rather than self-aggrandizing? Based on the past, it doesn’t seem likely.
Contrast this dark mood with the July 4,1976 bicentennial. Gerald Ford, a modest man, was president. The Vietnam War had officially ended in April. Richard Nixon had decamped to California after resigning the presidency over the Watergate affair. American flags were proudly waved, not ceremoniously burned.
Leading up to the occasion was a newspaper ad by British Airways featuring actor Robert Morley. Tongue in cheek it said: “Come home, all is Forgiven.”
An international parade of tall ships in New York Harbor and later in Boston became one of the most widely recognized visual spectacles of the day.
Thousands of volunteers from every state traveled across the country, using historic routes in covered wagons, culminating at Valley Forge State Park in Pennsylvania.
A replica of the Liberty Bell toured all 50 states, encouraging all citizens to participate in the celebration.
The Smithsonian Institution hosted a 12-week Festival of American Folklife on the National Mall. Queen Elizabeth II made an official state visit.
At 2 p.m. on July 4, President Ford rang a national Bicentennial Bell in Philadelphia 13 times (for the original colonies), prompting communities across America to ring bells in unison.
The American Freedom Train was a traveling museum displaying rare historical documents, artifacts and artwork. It visited the lower 48 states.
Network coverage was extensive (there were only three broadcast networks at the time). CBS’s popular Bicentennial Minutes segments, which began in 1974 and ran daily, continued through Dec. 31, 1976. The final Bicentennial Minute was presented by President Ford, closing out the year-long television celebration.
What’s changed in the last 50 years? Many blame social media, the education system and politicians who seem to care more about their careers than the condition of the country. Can anyone name a member of one party who has said something nice about a member of the other party? I doubt a “Jeopardy” champion could come up with one.
Here’s a timely quote from Ronald Reagan: “All of us, as Americans, are joined in a common enterprise to write the story of freedom — the greatest adventure mankind has ever known, and one we must pass on to our children and our children’s children — remembering that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”
It does not appear we are following Reagan’s advice. Where is the soaring rhetoric of the past, even the recent past, that sought to proclaim a unity of purpose? To recall Simon and Garfunkel’s metaphoric line from “Mrs. Robinson”: “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”
Like Elvis, to mix a performance metaphor, it appears unity and patriotism have left the building.
Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).