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A Patriotic Fourth: What Does That Mean Now? - The New York Times

posted onJuly 4, 2017
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Article snippet: Even a divided country can come together to celebrate its birthday. Can’t it? This Fourth of July weekend, we wanted to see how patriotic Americans were feeling as they hit the road to beach parties, mountain cabins and backyard barbecues across this fractious, fractured country. Are people still taking pride in a country rippling with waves of anger and resistance, riven by resentments and bitterly divided over issues like health care and immigration? Can patriotism encompass both supporting the president and marching against him? Standing during the national anthem and taking a knee in protest? To find out, we headed to roadside restaurants, outlet stores and rest stops in Colorado, Georgia and New Hampshire and spoke with about three dozen people as they stopped for bathroom breaks and reheated hot dogs. Some interviews have been condensed. Jensen Sutta, 39; his wife, Kiha, 36; and their two boys, Perry, 6, and Easton, 5, had been poking through traffic on the way from their home in the suburbs south of Denver to a weekend of camping and fishing in central Colorado’s mountains. Patriotism to me means appreciating the military, means appreciating our freedom and appreciating the fact that anyone really is free to express what they want to express. Being with our kids on this weekend, it does give the opportunity to remind them that they can’t control who’s elected or can’t control many things, but what they can control is that they’re kind and they’re thankful.... Link to the full article to read more

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