[frank ballenger]

The sidekick woman on Hannity said the Bicentennial in 1976 had lots of merchandise tie-ins and people buying flags and having parades. By now there would have been constant positive references to it.

Now half the country thinks we have an oppressive capitalist country on stolen land and we need a Communist takeover.

Not a good look.

They don’t deserve this great country that so many shed blood to save.

[Verginius Rufus]

It seems to me that the attention being given to the semi-quincentennial is a small fraction of the attention that was given to the bicentennial in 1976. Of course "bicentennial" rolls off the tongue more easily and is easier to understand.

Local PBS station has been re-running Ken Burns series on the Revolution, half of which is denigrating the Patriots for their treatment of the Indians and for having slavery.

In 1976 millions of WWII veterans were still alive, along with many more millions with memories of WWII. That may have created a more patriotic atmosphere than we have now.