Red, White, Blue — and No Kings, Thank You Very Much

This year, for the first time in a long time, I’m putting out Fourth of July decorations. Not because I’ve suddenly become a fan of fireworks or sunburns or potato salad with too much mayonnaise. I’m doing it because I’m a patriot. And I’m tired — tired of the idea that Trump and his flag-draped minions are the only ones allowed to make that claim.

Let me be clear: I can’t stand Donald Trump. I believe he is the single most dangerous threat to American democracy we’ve faced in my lifetime — and I say that as a 72-year-old woman who remembers Nixon, Reagan, and a little thing called Vietnam. But I also believe in this country. Deeply. I believe in “We the People.” I believe in checks and balances. I believe in the right to protest, the freedom to speak truth to power, and the sacred (yes, sacred) separation of church and state.

So yes, I’m decorating. Not for Trump’s version of America — but for mine.

I hung a 3 x 5 flag on my house that says We the People. You know, that phrase the Founders used to describe who holds the real power in this country. (Hint: it’s not billionaires, it’s not corporations, and it sure as hell isn’t a disgraced ex-president with a God complex.)

I also planted a little garden flag near my walkway that reads simply: No Kings. Because this isn’t a monarchy, and I didn’t fight to keep my independence, raise a family, build a life, pay taxes, and vote in every election just to watch it all get handed to a man who thinks he’s owed the throne.

There’s some red, white, and blue in the mix too — but it’s not for showboating. It’s a reminder: that flag belongs to all of us. Not just to the ones who wrap themselves in it while storming the Capitol. Not just to the ones screaming about freedom while banning books and punishing teachers. Not just to the ones who think loving your country means hating half the people in it.

I am a patriot — in the truest, messiest, most democratic sense of the word. I love this country enough to want to fix it. I love it enough to speak up when it’s broken. And I love it enough to fight — in my own way, with my own voice — for the ideals we were supposed to stand for in the first place.

So if you drive by my house and see the flags, don’t assume I’ve been brainwashed by Fox News or found Jesus on Truth Social. No ma’am. I’m still me. Still furious. Still hopeful. Still loud. Still voting. And still believing that We the People means ALL of us.

Because patriotism isn’t about worshipping power. It’s about standing up to it.

Happy Independence Day. Let’s keep it that way.

Julie Bolejack, MBA

REMINDER: Independence for some did not mean for all. NEVER FORGET