If anyone happened to watch any of the 250th Anniversary 4th of July celebrations in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and elsewhere, they would have seen multiple “celebrities” on those various stages across the United States of America. The one place they would not have seen such “celebrities” was in Washington, DC, during quite possibly the most patriotic show of all time hosted and orchestrated by President Donald J. Trump.
In the past, I had the honor of working for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush in the White House as well as at a Joint Command in the Pentagon. Four years ago, I authored a book titled The 56 — Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence. The sole purpose of that book was to pass along the genius, courage, and great sacrifice of our Founding Fathers while seeking to protect them from cancellation from the left.
With that experience and background in mind, I felt it important to be in our nation’s capital for a patriotic celebration coordinated by a President who not only truly reveres our Founding Fathers, but is doing all in his power to protect our liberties while saving our nation.
Sadly — and quite reprehensibly — the “celebrities” who are either far-left and ignorant of our history, or live in fear of the far-left should they stand for their principles and stand with the President and the vast majority of the American people, did not share my sense of patriotism and obligation.
Blistering heat and unpredictable weather aside, the 250th Anniversary show — with its record-smashing fireworks display — put together by the President and his staff was first-class, moving, informative, and itself historic. It was also quite entertaining.
But, as I watched the incredibly talented singers from our Armed Forces perform on stage with the most magnificent fireworks display of all time going off behind and around them, my mind did wander to those far-left or intimidated by the far-left “celebrities” who either cancelled their appearances in Washington, DC, or purposely chose not to attend because they were either afflicted with incurable “Trump Derangement Syndrome” or rightfully feared that those who control the far-left behind the scenes, would destroy their careers should they dare to attend.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with performing in New York City, Boston, San Diego, Chicago, or Los Angeles. The question for these “celebrities” is: “Why – on the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the greatest nation the world has ever known — would you avoid the Capital of the United States of America?”
Why — on the 250th Anniversary — would you avoid the city which houses our founding documents; our Congress; the White House; the Supreme Court; and the seat of power where almost every single policy which has ever impacted the American people over that time period was authored?
Sadly, predictably, and quite pathetically, we all know the two major reasons. Again, either because of an irrational hatred of one man which has literally destroyed their mental health and judgement, or because some of the “celebrities” who chose to avoid our 250th Anniversary celebration in Washington, DC do in fact live in terror at what the far-left might do to them and their livelihoods.
To the first point, while there has never been a President like Trump who has so consistently sung the praises of our Founding Fathers, our founding documents, or the need to appreciate and protect our great nation, the celebration in Washington, DC honored the history of the United States of America and those who made the dream a reality. Past leaders and Presidents include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Those “celebrities” consumed by the hatred of one man turned their backs on 250 years of American history.
As for those “celebrities” who live in fear of retribution from the far-left, they are forgetting the most important history lesson of all when it comes to the 250th Anniversary of our nation. That being the fact that what galvanized our Founding Fathers into action and what motivated those 56 heroes to sign the Declaration of Independence was their revulsion of totalitarian dictates from feckless bullies and their willingness to stand against it while so many others chose to hide in the shadows.
Rather than live in fear of the far-left totalitarians, the “celebrities” who surely did want to perform in DC but caved to the intimidation tactics should have taken that most relevant of lessons from our Founding Fathers and called out the tiny percentage of bullies in Hollywood and the entertainment community. Had they done so, others in Hollywood and entertainment — like the colonists when our Founding Fathers stood up to the tyrannical British Crown — would have drawn inspiration from their example and joined with them.
But instead, they chose to remain silent. And in doing so, only shamed themselves.
There will never be another 250th Anniversary. The next of note will be our 300th. Most of the “celebrities” who turned their backs on the celebration in Washington, DC, because of hate or fear, will be long since gone by then.
They did not “punish” one man with their venomous actions or cowardly deeds. They cheated themselves out of the most patriotic celebration in our nation while dishonoring our history.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence. Follow him @dougofskye.