Context is important to history. The United States fast approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of a document that renounced King George III’s despotic rule. At the same time, a man who hacked the elections of 2016 and 2024 tries to impose despotic rule. I/VII

In 1876, “‘Centennial mania’ [] gripped Americans of all social and political persuasions.” [FN1] In 1926, a “massive” World’s Fair was held in Philly, June to December, included a "Luminous Liberty Bell" 80 feet high & illuminated by 26,000 light bulbs. [FN2] II/VII

In 1975, I was in undergrad at DePauw University. The Bicentennial was commercial as hell w/everything in red-white-and-blue. Sears had a red-white-and-blue bathroom. At an organic diner where we’d had lunch during a debate tournament, I bought a button for III/VIII

the People’s Bicentennial consisting of the Gadsden “Don’t tread on me” logo & snake in green against a yellow background. They were going to have a protest and march in D.C. 7/4/76. When I bought the button, the event struck me as a good idea. I wanted to be there. IV/VII

In what I am about to recount, if there are similarities to anyone dead, so what? If they still are alive, any similarities are coincidental. We might very well be in the final days or weeks of this republic. I want to describe what happened in my corner of the Cosmos. V/VII

Footnotes:
FN1. Morris, Roy, Jr., “Fraud of the Century: Rutherford B Hayes, Samuel Tilden, and the Stolen Election of 1876,’ (2003), p. 19. VI/VII

FN2. David Vergun, “Looking Back at the Military's Role in America's 150th Birthday Celebration,” U.S. Dept of Defense, 1/23/26, accessed 5/19/26. VII/VII