
<p>In a previous commentary on the importance of America’s 250th Birthday, I expressed a fear that the leftâwing establishment – radical Democrats, news platforms, the entertainment industry, government unions and academia – might unite in an antiâcelebratory force.</p>



<p>Actually, I more than worry. I am convinced that they will be based on two wellâestablished characteristics of the far left. They often stand – and protest – against traditional American values, policies and symbols. They have nothing positive to say out America’s history and the Founders. And … they have an obsessive hatred for President Trump, who will be planning and presiding over the festivities.</p>



<p>We have already seen a hint of this. When Trump ordered a parade in celebration of the United States Army’s 250th anniversary, those on the left derided it and used the coincidence of Trump’s birthday to spin it into a personal egotistical event. They even organized their absurd “No Kings” protests as a counter event – mischaracterizing the Army’s milestone as some sort of monarchical event. Leftâwing media gave the protest far more positive coverage than the celebration. It was shameful.</p>



<p>Of course, the left has long been associated with protesting against American policies and interests. They abhor the symbols of American unity. They burn the flag. They kneel for the National Anthem. They refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance. They demonize the Founders – and remove their names and images from public spaces.</p>



<p>Rather than manifest civic pride, we have seen the Pledge abandoned in school and at civic events. The National Anthem is no longer an integral part of sports events. Civics education has all but vanished from our schools — and American history leans to the negative.</p>



<p>The 250th anniversary of the Republic is a momentous milestone. Every institution – schools, entertainment, businesses, churches, civic organizations, community groups– should be preparing to honor it. Flags should be seen flying everywhere across the country every day of the year.</p>



<p>We do not have to agree on issues, political philosophy or party membership to unite in common cause under the overarching banner of patriotism and national unity. When folks reject even the symbols of American patriotism, we are no longer a common national culture. The American Dream and American Exceptionalism are no longer shared beliefs. We have descended into tribalism.</p>



<p>And tribalism is the real danger.</p>



<p>Tribalism fractures a nation into competing camps that no longer see each other as fellow citizens but as enemies. It replaces shared identity with factional identity. It elevates grievances over gratitude. It encourages people to define themselves not by what they love, but by what they oppose. The far left has embraced this mindset with alarming enthusiasm. Their political energy is fueled not by a desire to improve America, but by a desire to condemn it.</p>



<p>This is why the Founders have become such convenient targets. If you can delegitimize the Founders, you can delegitimize the nation they created. If you can portray them as irredeemably flawed, you can portray the entire American project as irredeemably flawed. And if the American project is flawed, then patriotism becomes suspect — even immoral. That is the logic of the far left’s cultural revolution.</p>



<p>The Founders were not perfect, but they were extraordinary. They built a system that has endured for nearly two and a half centuries. They articulated principles that have inspired billions around the world. Yet today, their statues are torn down, their names removed from schools, their achievements dismissed as products of privilege. This is not honest historical critique. It is ideological vandalism.</p>



<p>And it is not accidental. It is part of a broader pattern in which the far left increasingly aligns itself with America’s critics abroad. When adversarial nations attack American interests, the far left often echoes their talking points. When foreign regimes denounce American policies, leftâwing activists amplify the message. When our enemies seek to undermine confidence in American institutions, they find willing partners among those who already believe the system is corrupt.</p>



<p>This is not principled dissent. It is reflexive opposition. It is the politics of perpetual grievance.</p>



<p>A nation’s major anniversaries are moments of reflection and unity — or at least they should be. They are opportunities to reflect on shared history, shared values, shared achievements. They are reminders that despite our differences, we are part of a common story. But tribalism rejects common stories. It rejects shared identity. It rejects national pride.</p>



<p>So what happens when a nation tries to celebrate its 250th birthday while a significant portion of its cultural elite insists that the nation is fundamentally unjust? What happens when the people who control the media, the universities, the entertainment industry and much of the bureaucracy view patriotism with suspicion? What happens when the loudest voices on the left insist that America’s past is shameful, its present is corrupt and its future is bleak?</p>



<p>You get the Grinches.</p>



<p>Not a single Grinch, but a movement of Grinches — determined to steal the joy, the pride, the unity and the gratitude that should accompany such a milestone. They will not merely decline to participate. They will actively discourage participation. They will frame celebration as complicity. They will portray patriotism as extremism. They will insist that the only proper way to mark America’s 250th birthday is with apology.</p>



<p>And that is why the rest of us must not be silent. We must not surrender our national story to those who despise it. We must not allow tribalism to replace patriotism. We must not allow cynicism to replace gratitude. America’s 250th birthday belongs to all of us — not just to those who love the country, but especially to those who need to be reminded why it is worth loving.</p>



<p>Founder Roger Sherman said “Sad will be the day when the people forget their traditions and their history.” Will all of America unite to celebrate the momentous 250<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the greatest and most successful republic in world history? Or will will ignore our traditions and history in an exercise of national self-flagellation.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Will There Be a Grinch Stealing America’s 250th Birthday?
