Independence Day today is not what it once was. What we celebrate with barbecued ribs, fireworks and flag waving was once a very serious and risky endeavor.
Today we celebrate the beginning of a revolution, a coup, the violent toppling of a standing government.
kAm%@52J :E’D 2== 7F? 2?5 82>6D] %H@ 9F?5C65 2?5 E9:CEJ\E9C66 J62CD 28@[ :E H2D 2 7:6CJ[ 8FEDJ 5:DA=2J @7 4@FC286 H96? p>6C:42? 4@=@?:DED 32?565 E@86E96C 2?5 HC@E6 2 564=2C2E:@? E92E E@=5 z:?8 v6@C86 xxx @7 t?8=2?5 6I24E=J H92E 96 4@F=5 5@ H:E9 9:D A=2?D E@ >655=6 :? p>6C:42] *@F’G6 AC@323=J 962C5 E96 42E49J C9J>6 “E2I2E:@? H:E9@FE C6AC6D6?E2E:@?[” 2?5 E92E’D 6I24E=J H92E E96 8@@5 <:?8 H2D FA E@ – FD:?8 2C>65 EC@@AD E@ 7@C46 4@=@?:DED E@ A2J E2I6D E@ t?8=2?5 H:E9@FE 2?J 4@=@?:2= C6AC6D6?E2E:@? :? E96 t?8=:D9 !2C=:2>6?E]k^Am
kAm(6’C6 DE:== A2J:?8 E2I6D E@52J[ 3FE H6 2=D@ 92G6 2 G@:46 :? @FC @H? 8@G6C?>6?E] x7 v6@C86 925 2==@H65 p>6C:42?D E@ 364@>6 >6>36CD @7 A2C=:2>6?E[ H6 >:89E DE:== 36 A2J:?8 9@>286 E@ |@E96C t?8=2?5]k^Am
kAmv6@C86 5:5?’E[ 2?5 E@52J H6 46=63C2E6 E96 368:??:?8 @7 2 >@G6 E@H2C5 :?56A6?56?46 E92E[ :? E96 abb J62CD D:?46[ 92D 4C62E65 E96 >@DE A@H6C7F= ?2E:@? :? 4:G:=:K65 9:DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmr2? J@F D2J “~@AD” H:E9 2 qC:E:D9 2446?Enk^Am
kAmx? 9@?@C @7 x?56A6?56?46 s2J[ x 5:5 2 =:EE=6 C6D62C49 2?5 =62C?65 >F49 E92E x 6:E96C 7@C8@E @C ?6G6C =62C?65 23@FE @FC ?2E:@?’D 3:886DE A2CEJ]k^Am
kAm? %96 4@=@?:2= s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46 H2D 24EF2==J >256 @? yF=J a[ H96? E96 r@?E:?6?E2= r@?8C6DD G@E65 E@ D6G6C E:6D H:E9 t?8=2?5] y@9? p52>D H2D C6A@CE65 E@ D2J “E96 D64@?5 52J @7 yF=J H:== 36 E96 >@DE >6>@C23=6 6A@49 :? E96 9:DE@CJ @7 p>6C:42]” w6 H2D @?=J D=:89E=J 29625 @7 9:D E:>6]k^Am
kAm? %H@ 52JD =2E6C[ %9@>2D y6776CD@?’D 7:?2= 5C27E @7 E96 s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46 5@4F>6?E H2D AFE E@ G@E6 2?5 2AAC@G65 =2E6 @? E96 27E6C?@@? @7 yF=J c[ `ffe] ~?=J ?:?6 @7 E96 @C:8:?2= `b p>6C:42? 4@=@?:6D G@E65 :? 72G@C @7 E96 s64=2C2E:@?] !6??DJ=G2?:2 2?5 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 G@E65 282:?DE :E[ s6=2H2C6 H2D F?564:565 2?5 }6H *@C< 23DE2:?65 7C@> G@E:?8]k^Am
kAm? ~? yF=J d[ 4@A:6D @7 E96 ?6H s64=2C2E:@? 3682? 4:C4F=2E:?8 2?5 :E BF:4<=J 3642>6 AF3=:4 @? yF=J e[ H96? :E H2D 7:CDE AF3=:D965 3J E96 !6??DJ=G2?:2 tG6?:?8 !@DE]k^Am
kAm? yF=J g[ `ffe[ H2D E96 7:CDE C62= x?56A6?56?46 s2J 46=63C2E:@?] %92E’D E96 7:CDE E:>6 E96 s64=2C2E:@? H2D C625 AF3=:4=J[ EH:46 @? E96 D2>6 52J[ :? x?56A6?56?46 $BF2C6[ !9:=256=A9:2] xE >FDE 92G6 D@F?565 =:<6 2 46=63C2E:@? – :E H2D C6A@CE65 E92E 5FC:?8 E96 C625:?8 49FC49 36==D A62=65[ 32?5D A=2J65[ 8F?D 7:C65 :?E@ E96 2:C 2?5 E96 4C@H5 4966C65 H:=5=J]k^Am
kAm? %96 5@4F>6?E ?@H C64@8?:K65 2D E96 @77:4:2= s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46 H2D 2 92?5\HC:EE6? 4@AJ >256 =2E6C :? yF=J 2?5 D:8?65 @? pF8] a] y@9? w2?4@4<[ E96 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 r@?E:?6?E2= r@?8C6DD[ D:8?65 E96 5@4F>6?E :? 9:D ?@H\72>@FD =2C86 92?5HC:E:?8 C6A@CE65=J D@ “z:?8 v6@C86 42? C625 E92E H:E9@FE DA64E24=6DP”k^Am
kAm? (9:=6 p>6C:42’D s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46 H2D 2 AC@46DD E92E @44FCC65 @G6C E96 DF>>6C @7 `ffe[ yF=J c 92D 364@>6 E96 52E6 >@DE 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 E96 p>6C:42? :?56A6?56?46 >@G6>6?E] qJ E96 62C=J `g__D[ yF=J c H2D 46=63C2E65 3J A:4?:4D[ 7:C6H@C<D 2?5 A2C256D 24C@DD p>6C:42]k^Am
kAm? xE H2D @?=J f` J62CD 28@[ :? `hbg[ E92E E96 &]$] r@?8C6DD G@E65 E@ >2<6 yF=J c 2? @77:4:2= ?2E:@?2= 9@=:52J D@ 8@G6C?>6?E H@C<6CD 4@F=5 A:4?:4 H:E9 A2J]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ 3642FD6 x?56A6?56?46 s2J 72==D @? 2 $2EFC52J[ p>6C:42?D 46=63C2E6 @FC 564=2C2E:@? 2D 2 D@G6C6:8? ?2E:@? :?56A6?56?E 7C@> E96 qC:E:D9 8@G6C?>6?E H:E9 2 =@?8[ C6=2I:?8 E9C66\52J H66<6?5]k^Am
kAmx 9@A6 J@F 6?;@J @FC ?2E:@?’D 3:886DE A2CEJ]k^Am
