SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
On Independence Day, Celebrate the True Patriots
As the nation marks this Independence day with traditional fanfare--hot dogs, flag-waving, and fireworks--one small community in Taos, New Mexico takes a very different approach. Here in the quaint village of Arroyo Seco, the community honors those who have spoken out against government overreach and abuse, suggesting true patriotism is about improving one's country rather than blindly singing its praises. The colorful parade is full of signs that read, "in gratitude for activists, whistleblowers, and muckrackers" and "Whistleblowers are our heroes."
Jul 04, 2015
As the nation marks this Independence day with traditional fanfare--hot dogs, flag-waving, and fireworks--one small community in Taos, New Mexico takes a very different approach. Here in the quaint village of Arroyo Seco, the community honors those who have spoken out against government overreach and abuse, suggesting true patriotism is about improving one's country rather than blindly singing its praises. The colorful parade is full of signs that read, "in gratitude for activists, whistleblowers, and muckrackers" and "Whistleblowers are our heroes."
The annual Arroyo Seco July 4th parade is located at the base of the Sangre de Christo Mountains in northern New Mexico. It began nearly two decades ago with a handful of participants on horseback making their way down the village's mile-long thoroughfare. From its humble beginnings, the parade has grown into a lively affair that attracts large crowds of locals and tourists alike. The parade seeks to redefine patriotism by applauding the contributions of those who dare to challenge their government's policies and insist on a more perfect democracy. During last year's parade, a participant held up a sign reminding the country, "There is more than one way to be a patriot". While many Americans celebrate today by hanging flags, attending barbecues and watching fireworks, it's worth asking what patriotism means -- and should mean. Here in Arroyo Seco, the community has answered that question by saying true patriotism is about struggling for a more just, equitable, and compassionate nation.
At the 2014 parade, over seventy prayer flag banners celebrated those who work for social change. The legendary activists Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez of the United Farm Workers of America were among those honored and many participants waved signs saying, "Si, se puede!". The parade also featured giant puppets of civil rights icon Rosa Parks, atomic bomb victim Sadako Sasaki, pioneering independent journalist Amy Goodman, and Native American activist Winona LaDuke. The parade also celebrated the contributions of whistleblowers such as Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Both individuals risked their personal wellbeing to alert their compatriots about government wrongdoing. Both were punished for daring to challenge the secrecy and excesses of their own government. Both viewed patriotism as an active process of checking the abuses of their government for the greater good of their country.
On Independence Day, the nation should look to the small village of Arroyo Seco for guidance. Rather than unreflectively celebrating the status quo, let's remember those who have worked tirelessly to improve our country at great personal risk: the activists, the whistleblowers, and the muckrackers.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deena Guzder
Deena Guzder is the co-News Director at the national TV/radio show Democracy Now! She has reported on human rights issues across the globe and is the author of Divine Rebels (Chicago Review Press 2011).
amy goodmancesar chavezchelsea manningdemocracyedward snowdenindigenousinequalitynew mexicopeople powerrosa parkswhistleblowers
As the nation marks this Independence day with traditional fanfare--hot dogs, flag-waving, and fireworks--one small community in Taos, New Mexico takes a very different approach. Here in the quaint village of Arroyo Seco, the community honors those who have spoken out against government overreach and abuse, suggesting true patriotism is about improving one's country rather than blindly singing its praises. The colorful parade is full of signs that read, "in gratitude for activists, whistleblowers, and muckrackers" and "Whistleblowers are our heroes."
The annual Arroyo Seco July 4th parade is located at the base of the Sangre de Christo Mountains in northern New Mexico. It began nearly two decades ago with a handful of participants on horseback making their way down the village's mile-long thoroughfare. From its humble beginnings, the parade has grown into a lively affair that attracts large crowds of locals and tourists alike. The parade seeks to redefine patriotism by applauding the contributions of those who dare to challenge their government's policies and insist on a more perfect democracy. During last year's parade, a participant held up a sign reminding the country, "There is more than one way to be a patriot". While many Americans celebrate today by hanging flags, attending barbecues and watching fireworks, it's worth asking what patriotism means -- and should mean. Here in Arroyo Seco, the community has answered that question by saying true patriotism is about struggling for a more just, equitable, and compassionate nation.
At the 2014 parade, over seventy prayer flag banners celebrated those who work for social change. The legendary activists Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez of the United Farm Workers of America were among those honored and many participants waved signs saying, "Si, se puede!". The parade also featured giant puppets of civil rights icon Rosa Parks, atomic bomb victim Sadako Sasaki, pioneering independent journalist Amy Goodman, and Native American activist Winona LaDuke. The parade also celebrated the contributions of whistleblowers such as Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Both individuals risked their personal wellbeing to alert their compatriots about government wrongdoing. Both were punished for daring to challenge the secrecy and excesses of their own government. Both viewed patriotism as an active process of checking the abuses of their government for the greater good of their country.
On Independence Day, the nation should look to the small village of Arroyo Seco for guidance. Rather than unreflectively celebrating the status quo, let's remember those who have worked tirelessly to improve our country at great personal risk: the activists, the whistleblowers, and the muckrackers.
Deena Guzder
Deena Guzder is the co-News Director at the national TV/radio show Democracy Now! She has reported on human rights issues across the globe and is the author of Divine Rebels (Chicago Review Press 2011).
As the nation marks this Independence day with traditional fanfare--hot dogs, flag-waving, and fireworks--one small community in Taos, New Mexico takes a very different approach. Here in the quaint village of Arroyo Seco, the community honors those who have spoken out against government overreach and abuse, suggesting true patriotism is about improving one's country rather than blindly singing its praises. The colorful parade is full of signs that read, "in gratitude for activists, whistleblowers, and muckrackers" and "Whistleblowers are our heroes."
The annual Arroyo Seco July 4th parade is located at the base of the Sangre de Christo Mountains in northern New Mexico. It began nearly two decades ago with a handful of participants on horseback making their way down the village's mile-long thoroughfare. From its humble beginnings, the parade has grown into a lively affair that attracts large crowds of locals and tourists alike. The parade seeks to redefine patriotism by applauding the contributions of those who dare to challenge their government's policies and insist on a more perfect democracy. During last year's parade, a participant held up a sign reminding the country, "There is more than one way to be a patriot". While many Americans celebrate today by hanging flags, attending barbecues and watching fireworks, it's worth asking what patriotism means -- and should mean. Here in Arroyo Seco, the community has answered that question by saying true patriotism is about struggling for a more just, equitable, and compassionate nation.
At the 2014 parade, over seventy prayer flag banners celebrated those who work for social change. The legendary activists Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez of the United Farm Workers of America were among those honored and many participants waved signs saying, "Si, se puede!". The parade also featured giant puppets of civil rights icon Rosa Parks, atomic bomb victim Sadako Sasaki, pioneering independent journalist Amy Goodman, and Native American activist Winona LaDuke. The parade also celebrated the contributions of whistleblowers such as Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Both individuals risked their personal wellbeing to alert their compatriots about government wrongdoing. Both were punished for daring to challenge the secrecy and excesses of their own government. Both viewed patriotism as an active process of checking the abuses of their government for the greater good of their country.
On Independence Day, the nation should look to the small village of Arroyo Seco for guidance. Rather than unreflectively celebrating the status quo, let's remember those who have worked tirelessly to improve our country at great personal risk: the activists, the whistleblowers, and the muckrackers.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.