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Marjorie Kuipers's avatar

I read somewhere that some Europeans are now calling the GOP the American Fascist Party. If the moniker fits . . . .

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Robin's avatar

Well said Amy! Thank you!

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Joe D'Amore's avatar

We didn’t fly an flags on Memorial Day or July 4th, as my wife requested. I do have a Ukrainian flag out front next to my “Support Ukraine” sign (which I received from a Ukrainian native that lived in town but has been back in the home country trying to help the sick and wounded in whatever way she can), but that’s it. I don’t want to get misinterpreted as a Trump supporter.

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Cynthia Freese's avatar

I marched with the Lincoln County Maine Democrats in the Round Pond parade. I’m so glad I did. We waved flags and sang This Land is Your Land and the response from the crowd made me teary. Things don’t look good, but I’m not giving up.

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Mark Henrichsen's avatar

Cynthia

Now that's the American Spirit! 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

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Kathryn A. LeRoy's avatar

Thanks for the reminder to remain joyful and hopeful, two important assets in defeating authoritarianism.

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Valorie Putnam's avatar

I'm very glad you posted this today. I felt grief on the fourth just as I did during Rumps first regime. Good to be reminded that this too shall pass and not to lose heart. I too began flying my flag again after the No Kings marches. I needed to reclaim it for myself in my neighborhood, town, state and country.

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DMacMainer's avatar

I fly my American flag to let people know that as a Never-Trumper, I'm still very much an American who loves his country. I wish all Never-Trumpers would show the flag wherever possible.

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Monica's avatar

Agree!! Participated in the 4th parade walking with an amazing candidate for school board and it was joyous!

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Becky's avatar

Thank you for this. Thank

goodness we celebrated with family, including young grandchildren, so it makes it easier to find your personal joy. I took a break from social media for the long weekend at the suggestion of a good friend. That helped a lot. My heart is heavy for our country, but I will not give up, I will resist and fight back. 🇺🇸

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J. Allen Kaiser's avatar

I think of the way president Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people were treated in our White House — and of all the innocent suffering in CECOT, being beaten & treated by our gov’t like Jewish Germans in 1941 — and all the long-loyal NATO allies we’ve betrayed — and their citizens whom we’ve imprisoned under inhumane conditions simply for visiting here entirely legally as tourists, students, or businesspeople — and all the European embassies now issuing travel advisories to their citizens against travel to our country, even if *with* all the proper “documents,” over the risk of our growing human rights, treaties, and international law violations — and the way we’ve treated our very closest and most helpful Canadian friends to the North with trade war and threats of invasion & annexation…

…and I feel deeply ashamed to be an American.

I don’t think a cognizant person who claims to believe in our democracy can look at those things and honestly be proud to American. Not without an unhealthy amount of denialism and delusion.

Our country is doing this. This is what our country voted for, even after Trump SAID he would do precisely these things.

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Julie Gatewood's avatar

Definitely wasn’t feeling it this year. Struggling to be positive, especially after the Republicans pushed through the bill that will hurt so many Americans just the day before. Not much to celebrate, but I appreciate your optimism and resilience.

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SJStone's avatar

We are the organizers of our neighborhood's 4th of July parade, which is quite a big deal in Baltimore, and all I could think of was how much I didn't want to celebrate this year.

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Mark Henrichsen's avatar

Amy

You can't let the fact that we have TACO President affect how we feel about our country. We are 249 years strong! Most people do not know that it took until 1814 with the treaty of Ghent to actually gain independence from the British, not the end of the Revolutionary War. There were many brave souls that fought died to protect our freedom!🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲 As we all know, the idiot in the oval office is not one of them. In fact, he is a coward. I will always support our countries ideals and freedom. It has absolutely nothing to do with the TACO man or what party is in power. We need a strong president, not puppet! Take pride in our freedom vote all these jerks out In the 2026 midterms.🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲

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richard jones's avatar

I have not lost my pride in America per se, I am very proud of the Americans I know who are resisting this contagion, trying to stamp out the cancer that has invaded our space. Americans I have known for years who are good souls. honest and compassionate, and very bright. What I have realized is, that, despite our best efforts, we have taken the democracy we grew up in for granted, and allowed sinister forces to gradually, slowly take hold and erode the foundations of that democracy to serve their own selfish interest. We have become vulnerable to technologies we use every day and depend on for our lives but do not know how they work, and their workings are controlled by a wealthy and powerful techocracy

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