I’m watching TV after lighting off some fireworks with my kids. My neighbors all around put on a heck of a show! Professional grade stuff. Looked like Baghdad at the start of Desert Storm! 🙂 Tonight there are two “specials,” one on NBC, the other on CBS. The shows are listed as follows:
NBC – “July Fireworks”
CBS –“Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular”
My ship! (in the Persian Gulf)
Not “4th of July.” Not “Independence Day.” They’ve neutered the NAME of the holiday. I don’t think it’s an accident or meaningless coincidence. And, as a veteran, I find it particularly objectionable. And perhaps not coincidentally, I served on the aircraft carrier USS Independence. Hmmm…. 🙂
Not once during the show on CBS (which I watched in its entirety) did they mention the birth of our nation. Not once did they even say, “Happy birthday America.” Nope… nothing about the significance of the holiday.
Today we celebrate the declaration of our independence from a tyrannical and oppressive (British) government. I believe that spirit still lives. But, it seems some here would like to quash it, in the name of political-correctness… even if in subtle ways (at first).
“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” – Declaration of Independence
Great Article Mike. I live in the Boston Area, and the local affiliate carries the Pops show from the beginning, where all the patriotic stuff happens. For example, the show starts locally at 8pm, and they had the national anthem, God Bless America, the Army Field Band and Chorus singing the ‘anthems’ of the AirForce, Marines, Navy, Army. It is the national broadcast that did not carry the ‘patriotic’ side of the concert. One year not too long ago, a local celeb read the Declaration of Independence.
It is the ‘sanitation’ by the national networks that is not doing our Boston Pops justice, and makes it look like the Pops isn’t Patriotic. Sad but true.
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Nice article Mike. Thank you for your service to our country! My husband is a Veteran along with my Grandfather, Father-in-Law, Uncle, Cousins, Cousins-in-Law who’s currently deployed & enlisted because of and after 9-11 and many of my relatives through the generations who’ve served our country. It saddens me to see what some term Political Correctness or what they believe is PC especially when it comes to the celebration of our country. Mike, I agree with you this was no accident or meaningless coincidence. Thank you for bringing this information to my attention. I will look-up NBC and CBS’ contact information and forward my disappointment. In addition, if you don’t mind, I will link this article on my social media pages and forward to my contacts. Best regards, Robin Besotes (The Doctor’s Rx)
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