I won't boycott the Fourth of July because it's not about Trump | Opinion
We're already divided enough. Every day feels like another political firestorm. What we need more of − not less − are the few shared rituals that bring people together across beliefs and backgrounds.
There’s a growing call this year to boycott the Fourth of July.
The activist group People’s Union USA, the same organization that has organized boycotts of Walmart, McDonald’s and Target, is now asking Americans to sit out Independence Day. No parades. No fireworks. No spending at major retailers. Just stay home and, in the words of founder John Schwarz, "pull away our presence and our dollars."
The idea, he says, is that there’s no independence to celebrate right now. Not when our politics are broken. Not when authoritarianism is on the rise. Not when diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are being gutted and civil rights feel increasingly fragile.
And I get it − I do. I’ve spoken out against injustice and stood up for marginalized communities. I’ve been as critical of President Donald Trump and his policies as anyone. I understand the fear that our democracy may be slipping away. I strongly believe that economic pressure can be a righteous tool.
But here’s where I part ways: I won’t boycott the Fourth.
Independence Day isn't about one president
July 4 isn’t about Trump. It’s not about any one president, policy or party. It’s about us − the American people − and the generations before us who refused to be ruled by a king and instead built something radically new: a nation founded on the promise of liberty and equality, even if we’ve never perfectly lived up to it.
Independence Day is not a day to sit out. It’s a day to show up. Even when the country disappoints us − especially when it does − we should claim the day as ours. Not to paper over the problems or pretend things are fine. But to remind ourselves and one another what this nation could be.
Look, if people want to withhold their money from corporations on July 4, more power to them. Pack your own picnic. Support local businesses. That’s a legitimate form of protest, and one I respect. But telling families to skip the fireworks and keep their kids home from the parade? That feels, well, un-American.
We’re already divided enough. Every day feels like another political firestorm. What we need more of − not less − are the few shared rituals that bring people together across beliefs and backgrounds. And whether it’s the Fourth of July or Juneteenth, our national holidays should be moments that unite us around common values, not divide us with new lines in the sand.
A lesson from Juneteenth
I’ve seen people dismiss and downplay Juneteenth − a day that marks the long-overdue end of slavery for millions of Americans. That angers me.
But so does the idea of telling Americans not to celebrate July 4, the day we declared independence from tyranny and laid the foundation for future freedoms. Both holidays matter. Both are worth celebrating. Both tell stories of struggle, pain, revolution and eventual progress.
So no, I won’t boycott the Fourth. I’ll be there with my family, watching the fireworks, celebrating this messy, complicated, beautiful country. Not because it’s perfect. Not because I'm complacent about Trump. Not because I'm apathetic about his "big, beautiful bill" and the damage it'll cause. But because I still believe in what America can become.
And if we’re serious about healing what’s broken, then maybe instead of turning our backs on each other this July 4, we can turn toward one another − and try, just for one day, to remember what unites us under those bright bursts in the night sky.
Kevin S. Aldridge is the Opinion and Engagement Editor at the Cincinnati Enquirer, where this column originally published. He can be reached at kaldridge@enquirer.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter: @kevaldrid