Why do we celebrate the 4th of july? you will be amazed at the responses

[gallileo60]

I became a citizen of this great country many years ago, also a Viet Nam Vet and I'm not surprised at the responses of those people, I believe it goes back to the school system and the courses they teach in schools also the family up bringing. It's so sad that I know more history than many Americans do and I also proudly fly the flag at any chance I get and take it down in the evening like a lot of people don't. God Bless America

Bless you sir, you ARE a fine American...I agree with you, the School, and the Home are to fault.......Its not skin Color, or Religion that make a person an American..

 

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[Dano Sverige]

I'm going against my usual grain here, and will say that to be fair, having a guy plonk down on you at the beach with a microphone and another with a video cam aimed at you can be quite disconcerting. Also he was leading them astray a lot of the time with misleading scenarios as to why the celebrations happen.
But...in the long run, and my own personal experiences (years of online arguments and fights etc,lol) many Americans just don't have a clue to certain things. Oh sure, all of them will shout me down and give the "we kicked your ass!" retort. I learned long ago that the easiest way to shut them up is to agree..then ask them "yup, but what year did you kick our ass?"!
Silence usually follows, or some flippant remark totally avoiding the question. If really lucky then they can usually throw up some hilarious answers!

I find this particular question a little strange, because Americans are a very insular race and if anything is taught in schools then it'll be American based. I know for a fact that until at least college education nothing is really taught that happened outside of the US apart from maybe 2 world wars happened somewhere ...once.
Time is a great killer of knowledge too. Ask Italian teens about the Roman empire and very few will have much of a clue. Ask Brit' teens about the British Empire and probably even fewer will know much.
It says more about American kids to me than the teachers, as Spart' said. Maybe a popular "war of independence" game for the xbox or ps3 might help, as i think teachers may teach certain things, but the kids just don't take it in a lot of the time.

To be honest though knowing about the 4th of july would be basic school learning for kids of age 8-10 in Europe, with more detailed teaching from 10-16. So yeah...i think it's pretty scandalous that many Americans don't know and can be caught out so easily when trying to show off and be clever.

 

[gallileo60]

Im sure its not just an American thing..A long time ago when I was in School, we took state History, American History, and World History.This was in Jr. High, and High School..We did kick ass, just not yours..... Weren't you guys, er uh, well Neutral during WWII.??

 

[spartacus53]

Dano, most here still don't American Revolution history, except for that one July day

I guess they never realized when the American Revolution really started. I bet many think it was over when they signed the Declaration of Independence too Few probably understand the revolution was seeded right after the French and Indian War.. Although it took over a decade for the fighting to begin, the protest was there and strong.

Funny thing is that the war didn't really end until sometime 1783

But, I can guarantee you that, a majority here will know more about the American Civil War, and that will cover from the first to the last shot

So it's not always about the learning, it's more about the interest in learning the topic

 

[Marchas45]

Im sure its not just an American thing..A long time ago when I was in School, we took state History, American History, and World History.This was in Jr. High, and High School..We did kick ass, just not yours..... Weren't you guys, er uh, well Neutral during WWII.??

If you look at his avatar he is showing a British Flag. he may be in Sweden but I think he is British as I am also.

 

[gallileo60]

Im sure its not just an American thing..A long time ago when I was in School, we took state History, American History, and World History.This was in Jr. High, and High School..We did kick ass, just not yours..... Weren't you guys, er uh, well Neutral during WWII.??

If you look at his avatar he is showing a British Flag. he may be in Sweden but I think he is British as I am also.

Well Hello Brits... forgive my eye sight...In that case, i think we were hanging out with you guys during that time period...

 

[spartacus53]

Swedes, Swiss, they're all the same... Right, Dano

 

[gallileo60]

Swedes, Swiss, they're all the same... Right, Dano

They prob, don't think so...lol...

 

[spartacus53]

gallileo60, that is exactly Dano's point..

You can't imagine how many times people on this forum complain about the Swedes in Switzerland

I'll have to also admit, I thought the revolution ended in 1782, about 6 months past the Battle of Yorktown

 

[gallileo60]

Well, I must admit, when I was a kid, I had some confusion and Sweden, and Switzerland....I don't know if that is an American thing, or just a thing...For some reason Holland was another Country I had trouble figuring out, don't know why...

 

[Michigan Badger]

This video doesn't surprise me one bit. Actually I was a little surprised that he was able to find a couple people who knew the truth.

But I disagree with his thesis in some ways. I don't think those people were "morons." I think the real issue is they just didn't care.

Probably most of those interviewed heard the facts about the 4th of July sometime during their educational experience. But because they didn't really care this knowledge soon left them. As a rule we only remember that which is of some importance to us.

With an alarming number of our youth, freedom is all about pleasures with as little responsibility as possible--you stay out of my face and I'll stay out of yours--you don't judge me and I won't judge you--how much can I get without working for it?--and on and on.

Freedom to an ever increasing percentage of Americans has nothing to do with the price the brave and selfless paid--it's all about self indulgence and let all else be damned.

Most of the people interviewed probably had pretty good jobs. And, they probably do those jobs quite well. But since they could care less about how we got our freedoms they have blocked that knowledge out of their minds.

What many Americans don't realized is that today our old historic American ideals are no longer taught in our public schools. In fact, the average student would have absolutely no idea what these ideals were. If anyone dare quote the Founding Fathers that one is quickly accused of taking their comments out of context and those quotes are simply rejected as not being genuine.

Convince a man (or woman) against his will and he's of the same opinion still.

America is headed for a total collapse and all the other major countries know it. Due to unions and unsolvable internal corruption on all levels, nothing can prevent it.
We are today a country extremely divided. There is more discord in America today than there ever was at any other period in our history.

 

[gallileo60]

Well said Badger, I agree, it has been our own fault....Sad, but true......It was so different just even a few years ago..Unions have priced us right out of the World Market, everyone has to make 50 bucks an hour, and have 40 days off, plus more....


We are more divided now than ever, and this is the time we need to pull together..I don't know if total collapse is a fact, or not (I hope not), but its gonna be a tough row to hoe...We have pulled back from the brink of destruction before, in our short history...This Country has done some truly magnificent things, and some bad things as have all Country's in the World..Lets hope we react before it is to late..Most of the younger people here do not know how damn good they have it...There are places where people do not get to eat at night, and they are shot at during the day..count your blessings while you still have them...........

 

[Michigan Badger]

One reason so many today have very little interest in the historical development of independence and the freedom it offers is they have never experienced what it's like to live without freedom.

We tend not to value something that is common. Most American citizens have never known anything but freedom so to them freedom isn't really freedom. They see freedom as the same old boring thing they've always known.

This is why all politicians profit by offers of "change." But the question is yet to be answered--change to what?

 

[gallileo60]

Drink some cyanide, that will be change...Change is not always a good thing, as a lot of people are finding out now...