What America’s 250th Birthday Extravaganza Is Really About
The article describes a gathering at the National Mall in Washington D.C. organized by the nonprofit Freedom 250 to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. It highlights the intersection of political activism, religious expression, and nationalist symbolism among attendees.
Why it matters
Illustrates the growing influence of politically charged, religiously-oriented organizations in shaping national commemorative events.
’Murica hats, ’Murica flags, ’Murica cutoffs, ’Murica backpacks, ’Murica walking sticks, ’Murica shoes, ’Murica umbrellas—each plentifully amassed. It’s late May on a muggy, overrun National Mall. I am perspiring from 360 different angles. A man with crumbs in his beard prepares to blow a Viking horn. Fifty yards behind him, an attendee fails to wrangle a 10-foot wooden cross from out of a wheelbarrow. “If everybody loves Jesus,” an exhorter with a plastic bullhorn bellows to the crowd, “make some noise!”
The author uses descriptive, slightly mocking language ('crumbs in his beard', 'righteous graphic tees') to frame the event participants.
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