How will you celebrate the 4th of July this year?

[katinmn]

It doesn't seem quite right to celebrate freedom when we are being robbed of ours, and preventing Iraq and others from realizing theirs.

Have any ideas?

http://adbusters.org/metas/politico/unbrandamerica/unbrandamerica.html
As July 4th approaches, Americans are once again making plans to celebrate their freedoms. It seems sadly ironic, in these bleak times. Thanks to Bush and the neocons -- who've trampled all of our rights, taken the world to war, and are leading us further down this dangerous course -- the prevailing mood has become a mix of hopelessness and fear...

It's time for jammers to take this opportunity, get together with others and build new kinds of meaning. JammerGroups across the United States are brainstorming about potential creative and provocative actions for this Independence Day.

Along with our Corporate American Flags, what should jammers do to express their resistance and help take America back? Share your plans here.

[Catch22Dem]

1. Same way I do every year

It's not so much about "celebrating" the 4th of July. It's more about getting together w/ family, cooking, drinking, playing, etc... I don't really see it as a celebration of where we are currently as a nation, but as a way to get together with the ones you love and spend some time.

[Egalitariat]

2. Cookout, beer, watermelon, Pepsi 400. Same as always****

nm

[katinmn]

3. I take things too personally, I guess. I can't do "business as usual"

I stupidly cried through Christmas, too.

[bahrbearian]

4. Blowing up Things and scaring all the critters.

[hansberrym]

6. Isn't is odd that Bush will be wrapped in the flag on the 4th though

he works every day to undermine what is celebrated on Independence Day?

No doubt the Bush crowd will piously praise the Founders on the 4th without missing a beat in their shameless promotion of "trade agreements" (such as CAFTA, NAFTA, and WTO) that undermine our nation's independence and its democratic structures. These "trade agreements" replace government of the people for the people with government by the multinational corporation for the multinational corporation.

[katinmn]

9. We can count on that. He and all the pseudo-patriots will

brag about how they are spreading democracy throughout the world, while peeing on our constitution.

[katinmn]

5. This is the "Activism" Forum, right? Where are all the activists?

I'm looking for some ideas.

[hansberrym]

10. SO you want us to do something other than cookout, watch fireworks

and drink a few beers?

OK -how about handing out links/copies of articles about CAFTA/NAFTA
to celebrate and help maintain our country's independence.


http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?

i=20040202&s=englerhttp://www.thenation.com/docprem.mhtml?i=20040202&s=sanders

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050131&s=nichols2

[tenshi816]

7. I got this invite and plan to go here:

Please book MONDAY 4 JULY 2005 in your diaries and come to hear SCOTT RITTER (former US Iraqi Arms Inspector) speak at the CAAB annual 'INDEPENDENCE FROM AMERICA' demonstration at the Main Entrance to NSA MENWITH HILL :


INDEPENDENCE FROM AMERICA DEMONSTRATION
at the Main Entrance to
NSA MENWITH HILL
(near Harrogate, North Yorkshire)

MONDAY 4 JULY 2005
12noon - 4/5pm

Guest Speaker:
SCOTT RITTER
(former US Iraqi Arms Inspector)

Music by:
CHUMBAWUMBA (Acoustic)

Food by:
VEGGIES of Nottingham

Organised by
CAMPAIGN for the ACCOUNTABILITY of AMERICAN BASES (CAAB)
******************************************************

Should be interesting. Hope it's warmer in Yorkshire by then, because it sure isn't summer weather here yet.



On edit: Any DUers in the area want to meet at the Black Bull Inn near Menwith Hill for a pint beforehand?

[katinmn]

8. Looks like a good event.

"Independence from America" LOL

[tenshi816]

11. It does, doesn't it?

I'm curious about how many people they're expecting to turn up. Menwith Hill is a controversial base and there are frequently small protests there (every week, I was told by a civilian I know who works there), but this one looks like it will be a lot bigger.

Menwith Hill isn't far from where I live and it's in a beautiful part of the country (I always think of it as Frodo's Shire with more traffic and bigger hills), even the area around the military base itself.

I'll try to get decent photos and post them afterwards.

[katinmn]

12. Photos would be nice to see! My former brother-in-law was

stationed at Menwith Hill in the 1980s. He worked for the NSA (National Security Agency). He was a Russian expert so I expect he was there listening. (Oh, I really miss the Cold War.)

He sent back beautiful pictures of castles from that area.

[tenshi816]

13. You've got it!

Photos will be taken and posted!

Yeah, like I said, Menwith Hill is very controversial and it seems like everyone around here has an opinion about it.

Definitely a "listening" base (don't you just love that euphemism?).

Funny story, there's also plenty of people in my neck of the woods (Ilkley, West Yorkshire) who think of Menwith Hill as Britain's own Area 51 and I've talked to people who are convinced the US and Britain have captured aliens locked up there - I'm not kidding about this either, I've run into quite a few UFO tinfoil hat types.

The reasoning behind the UFO/Menwith Hill theory, the way I understand it, is that (and you really have to work with this):

(a) There is a high proportion of alleged UFO sightings over Ilkley Moor, which is supposedly a hotbed of paranormal activity - a local chap by the name of Nigel Mortimer (there are a lot of references to him on Google) does UFO/ghost/paranormal walks and talks on the Moor, and there's also a UFO magazine with a fair-sized circulation published here as well. There are touristy type gift shops in town selling alien-related stuff too.

(b) If you were to take off walking straight across the Moor, you'd end up at Menwith Hill.

(c) No one is supposed to photograph Menwith Hill (again, so I'm told but I have no idea if it's true or not) and it's not on any maps (that may actually be true because I've not seen it on any but maybe I've not looked hard enough).

Anyway, that's it - that's the Ilkley Moor/UFO/Menwith Hill theory. That people here claim to see UFOs and the Menwith Hill base isn't far away, therefore they must be keeping extraterrestrials there. It's a serious leap from one to the other, but what the hell, it keeps people amused, and in some cases allows them to make a living from talking about it.

We actually live at the edge of Ilkley Moor. I've never seen anything unusual, but when I look through our upstairs skylight at night I always do make a point of checking the sky for flashing lights!

I also know a man who is convinced there are nukes at Menwith Hill. That idea makes me far more uncomfortable than aliens...

[WildClarySage]

14. Same thing I do every year, Pinky...

try to take over the world.