Fond memories of the 4th of July. Block parties. Families from the street bringing blankets and picnic baskets to sit and watch from someone's lawn games like water-balloon toss, street volleyball, potato sack races, and of course, fireworks. That was a fun part of my youth.
I wonder if such community gatherings are still alive in the US, and to what extent.
Of course, in Australia, there are no 4th celebrations.
In reality, I know that almost none of the nations are truly free and independent, the creation of central banks beholden to the financial elite and 2 world wars to put us all in perpetual debt have ensured that. The USA once rebelled against this, earlier in history, and was truly free, but no longer.