We're about to celebrate the official beginning of our nation. Americans know our history and honor it. But we're also struggling with ugly realities such as the legacies of slavery and the Civil War, the massacres of indigenous peoples, police practices, an uneven economy plagued by record inflation, and now, the Jan. 6 insurrection. How will the Jan. 6 committee's findings impact July 4th? Will the fireworks be beautiful in up the sky, or ugly in the streets?
You might think that hearing direct testimony from witnesses, mostly white Republican men, would convince the American public that "Stop the Steal" was a hoax.
Time will tell. Too many Republicans are discrediting the committee.
"No trial or committee hearing that doesn't present differing points of view can be legitimate," tweeted Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind.
The GOP blocked a bill to create a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate Jan. 6. When the House formed its own investigative committee, and Pelosi blocked two of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's picks because they voted against certifying the election, McCarthy pulled all Republican participation in the panel.
Republicans Liz Cheney of Arizona and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois then accepted invitations to join the committee. Kinzinger has received death threats. Many Republicans dismiss Cheney and are trying to vote her out of office.
The push-back includes a variety of conspiracy theories. Some falsely claim that former Attorney General Bill Barr said Trump knew there was no election fraud because he was paid by Dominion Voting Systems, a company targeted by Trump supporters with baseless claims of vote rigging.
Efforts to silence or discount the Jan. 6 commission testimonies included Fox News which refused to air the first session. And some far-right message boards claim the hearings aren't really happening. Instead, some members of the MAGA cult say those testifying are actually part of a Hollywood production starring stand-ins for Ivanka Trump and others.
Why are we seeing these new conspiracy theories? "It's cognitive dissonance," said Syracuse University Professor Jennifer Stromer- Galley. "If you believe what Trump says, and now Bill Barr and Trump's own daughter are saying these other things, it creates a crack, and people have to fill it."
I'm discouraged by these efforts to fill in the cracks, but not surprised. And I'm anticipating July 4th with as much apprehension as excitement. Historically, the early celebrations of our Independence Day were inspirational with parades, oratory and toasts. But those celebrations could also be bombastic. When the American population grew, the 4th of July commemoration became a patriotic tradition claimed not only by political parties, but by abolitionists, women's rights advocates, the temperance movement, and opponents of immigration. Independence Day became a time to grab the spotlight.
We'll soon celebrate with fireworks, music and, of course, endless feasting. But I wonder if the spotlight on July 4, 2022, will be a peaceful celebration. A recent ad posted by Missouri GOP Senate hopeful Eric Greitens depicting him and his supporters in military-style uniforms happily hunting down political opponents with guns. gives me pause. Let's pray that the Trump's MAGA movement, which undoubtedly will be out in full force, doesn't spoil our Independence Day celebration.
Contact Deborah Levine, an author, trainer/coach and editor of the American Diversity Report, at deborah@diversityreport.com.