Happy Fourth. - Sarah Haider

Every 4th of July I feel a sense that I must perform some kind of ambivalence about our country–make my patriotism palatable to the intellectual set by cutting it with poetic discomfort.

Every 4th of July I feel a sense that I must perform some kind of ambivalence about our country–make my patriotism palatable to the intellectual set by cutting it with poetic discomfort. A tasteful acknowledgement of our potential, followed closely by the caveat. “How great we could be, if only it weren’t for….!” That I never feel persuaded by this pressure is probably a good indicator I don’t belong in such lofty circles, that my place is with the unkempt and peripheral, and perhaps that is just as good. The truth is that the overwhelming feeling I have towards this country is a deep and…

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