How about some old school patriotism on being a proud and involved American Citizen.
It is a better investment than fireworks. And it won't cause anyone any problems.
Fly a flag.
Say the pledge of allegiance. Spend some time with the family talking about our constitution and bill of rights. Make a thing of that. Re-tell the history of how our ancestors came to this country to make a life free from persecution, free of a monarchy, free of war (my dad's side escaped Europe during the Crimean War) free of persecution (who knows how many of my family members went up the chimneys by Nazi hands - put to death simply for who they were and not for any crime - no one should be punished for who they are), and sometimes just freedom (mom's great grandmother left a miserable arranged marriage 'to visit family in America' and to never come back. The husband's pride meant he would never come to America to find his lost bride.
These are the stories we should share on the 4th.
We had a flag like this one I flew on the 4th. When I was a child I was the official family flag flier.
50 years ago most houses took the time to fly the flag on Memorial Day, Veterans Day and the 4th. Just about every house in the neighborhood flew a flag. I hardly see that now. Even my own flag hadn't flown in years because the mount broke. The flag pole is left over pipe from a project. But I still had the flag stored away.
50 years ago the attitudes were different. We shot fireworks off for a couple of years and then we just kind of grew out of it. And this is when people had wooden shingles. But we never had stuff as nice as what some of my neighbors invested in.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a spot or park out in the country and provide a safer environment for families to shoot off fireworks, however, even those sparklers we had as kids burn really hot. So that is a topic for debate. It was fun up until we got tired of it. That was when we had a family rotary phone and listened to vinyl records.
Wouldn't it be nice to see everyone fly a flag?
We also had neighborhood parades - kiddie floats, etc. It would be nice to see that again and have neighbors meet and visit with each other too.
If we want to bring the past forward, we could start with things that everyone would agree on like flying your flag if weather permits.
Let's also celebrate progress. Back then when Captain Kirk (Shatner) was forced to kill Leut Uhuru (Nichols) on television that was a BIG DEAL being an interracial kiss. (1960s) Now no one cares about mixed marriages. Divorces had a huge stigma on them. Now people grow together and grow apart. But they don't stay together in misery. I think that is a big improvement. And as Jew you certainly didn't marry outside your faith.
All my cousins did.
My dad and I would have died around 50 without medical advancements. Now because science occasionally gets things wrong and then revises itself, some denigrate science for not being perfect. It is always going with the best knowledge at the time.
Sometimes the science is perverted for monetary gain like the Sackler family and the opioid crisis. That was literally legalized pushing of drugs. They figured out how to do it, and make a lot of money. They've paid big settlements. I think it merits a criminal investigation. But now we look at it. People who smoke or vape know or should know how that will affect them in the future. We have so much more information. Celebrate that.
That's better than refusing to look at history and what was 'gotten wrong' or written from only one perspective and then have other narratives of fellow Americans quashed. If we teach history, let's teach all of history. Not institutionalize some version of it terrified of what it might mean to extend equality to those and acknowledge their freedom of speech and our own shame (slavery — and its continued impact on African Americans) and immigration (the banana republics we created).
We have mega rich folks. This country provided them the opportunity to be mega rich. Those who have the most should give the most. Many do.
We are a great nation. And we are a nation of many peoples since day 1. I embrace the rich tapestry of the differences between us. They are nothing to be afraid of. Y por ese reason, hablo Espanol y se la culturas de muchos typos de gente mas porque hablo un otra lengua. (Y necessito practicar mas!!!)
But let's start small. Fly a flag of a country that is not North Korea, Somalia, Russia or China. Celebrate who we are and the freedoms of our great nation and the freedom to speak your mind and not disappear for doing so. If you say something unkind, well freedom of speech doesn't mean people have to like what you say.
And vote.