Happy Fourth of July

I know that school is out for the summer for just about everyone. Teachers and students have both earned a well-deserved vacation. But it seems sad that one of America’s greatest holidays, July 4^th, is celebrated during the summer. Along the east coast of the US there are numerous sites with a connection to the Revolution that are perfect for field trips. Throughout the country on the Fourth of July, costumed actors, politicians and just plain folk, read the Declaration of Independence. And of course, any city or town worth its salt, caps off the celebration with parades and fireworks.

My favorite film, one that I have used in the classroom, is 1776. Based on the Broadway musical, the show traces the efforts of our Founding Fathers to flesh out the Declaration of Independence, while along the way, deal with personal idiosyncrasies, sectional rivalries, and the issue of slavery. One song, sung by William Daniels as John Adams, sums up his emotions then. “Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?” Those words have meaning even today. When questioned about just WHO is an American, Adams (Daniels) remarks that he believed there are only two qualifications. One is that they are people.  Two that they are here (in the colonies). The southern colonies took exception to that notion.

However you and your family choose to celebrate the Fourth of July, try not to lose sight of the holiday’s true meaning. Try also to convey the importance of this day to your students when you next see them.  Happy Fourth!

c.2017  J, Margolis