How was your 4th of July? This week I have decided to write “a day in my life” column, specifically about my July 4th. I know that might seem a bit immodest, but I figure that, in 50 years, when Americans are celebrating the tricentennial, Arlingtonians from 2076 might want to know what was happening during the semiquincentennial of the Declaration. If they toss in a few relevant words into their AI machine, maybe this column will pop up on their computer. Of course, this is not to say that my day was in any way representative of the lived experiences of the 245,000 residents of Arlington – it is just one day in the life of one Arlingtonian. 

My day started with a very local event: the Bellevue Forest 4th of July Kids Parade. It is a wonderfully low-key affair, with food donations to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC), the presence of a fire truck, and young folks riding their bicycles or walking with their parents for about four blocks, ending with refreshments in a cul-de-sac. The weather was not yet too hot, and it was nice to chat with neighbors. I then drove to a pedestrian bridge over I-66 to help my wife take down signs put up by volunteers for the advocacy group, We of Action. The signs’ message encouraged civic engagement: “Protect Our Freedoms: Vote.” This message elicited two distinct responses from drivers with some honking and some “middle-finger salutes.” Perhaps this was an apt reminder of today’s polarized politics. 

Then it was time for us to go to the Arlington Historical Society (AHS) Museum, on Arlington Ridge Road. AHS held a community reading of the Declaration of Independence, with a terrific turnout of nearly 100 people. (They actually held two readings, one on each floor, followed by a vigorous ringing of the school bell.) In addition to viewing some new exhibits in the museum, I was able to acquire a T-shirt with the phrase “America Needs Historians” (other shirts proclaimed that America also needs teachers and immigrants). 

By midday the heat was rising into the high 90’s, with a peak of 99 degrees. This was the perfect time to stop at Toby’s Ice Cream shop in Westover. Their mint chocolate chip ice cream was just the right thing for a hot July day. (My wife recommends the coconut chocolate chip and salted caramel.) After running a couple of errands, I was able to get back to my air-conditioned home and watch some World Cup action. The soccer games being played in North America have been a nice distraction for this soccer fan, with the ability to text with friends during the games and complain about the officiating and admire the great plays. I did scroll through my newsfeed and was saddened to discover that the white supremacy group known as the Patriot Front was marching through the District of Columbia. Photos of these white men, covered with white face masks as they marched, were reminiscent of the photos of events from 1926. One hundred years ago the Ku Klux Klan had marched through Washington – history does often repeat itself. On this July 4th, the most chilling photo was of a crowded Metro train, with all these masked men casually hanging out. 

The day ended with a little rain, and a delay of the National Mall fireworks show. There was the inevitable Trump speech, which made me think of a chalk message I had seen that morning on the pedestrian bridge. Someone wrote down FDR’s “Four Freedoms” – freedom of speech and worship, and freedom from want and fear. It bothers me when people spread fear; whether it is from the Patriot Front or from a president spreading the fear of communism. His speech makes me think of Senator Joe McCarthy from the 1950s and his tactic of fear-mongering. And so my July 4 ended with a reminder that America does indeed need historians… and activists…and community gatherings, be it neighborhood parades, ice cream shops, communal readings, text threads about a soccer game, or whatever may bring us together.