Potemkin Fourth of July

Wanting his playgroup friends, particularly that kid from North Korea,  to see that he owns the best toys, this July 4th celebration in the District of Columbia displayed a fair amount of military hardware.  The display fell short of the full military parade that the President has wanted since he viewed France’s parade in 2017.  Actually, according to the New Yorker, the President wanted a military display in his inaugural parade. But this will do.  There will be fighter jets flying overhead and a show by the Blue Angels and displays of other military hardware.

According to the group Code Pink, they were granted a permit to display a 20′ baby Trump balloon complete with diaper and cell phone.  But in a corruption of the principles of American freedom, freedom of speech has been undermined to protect the President’s inflated (much more than 20′) sense of himself and his power.   When the National Park Service issued Code Pink’s permit, it prohibited the group from inflating the balloon with helium and permitted cold air inflation only.  This defeated one of the group’s goals, which was to make the balloon visible in the President’s line of sight.  The National Park Service’s guide to planning mall events limits structures to not higher than 45 feet.  Yet-Baby Trump character was grounded.  And the permit allowed display not on the National Mall but at 17th Street assuring that the President will not pass by the protest.  

The public was kept away from the area closest to where the president spoke.  The first 5,000 seats were reserved for Republicans, including donors.  The event cost of $2.5 million was taken from the National Park Sevice’s budget that was intended for park improvement.

Protests organized in other ways.  A group of Vets handed out tee shirts honoring John McCain.  And mini Trump balloons were sold.  But the likelihood that the President saw either is slim.  

There was hope that the President would go off script and make his speech political – then he and his event organizers would be responsible for $2.5 million that this event cost. 

This was a faux fourth – chipping away at tradition and democracy,  little by little.  Until protest becomes risky.