As the smoke from the largest fireworks display in American history drifted over the National Mall and small-town parades wrapped up across the country this past Independence Day weekend, something beautiful and familiar stirred in the soul of the nation. Americans came together waving flags, singing anthems, honoring veterans, in a display of national unity, pride, and gratitude that felt strikingly reminiscent of September 12, 2001.
On that day after the attacks, grief gave way to an overwhelming surge of togetherness. Flags appeared on porches, cars, and fire stations from New York to California. “United We Stand” wasn’t a slogan; it was a lived mantra. Strangers helped strangers. Church pews filled. The culture dramatically changed, if only for a time, toward appreciation for first responders, the military, faith, family, and the freedoms we too often take for granted. Patriotism wasn’t considered controversial. National pride was the common language. There was a raw, defiant happiness born from knowing who we are and what we would defend.
Twenty-five years later, at our 250th birthday, that same spirit re-emerged, not from tragedy, but from celebration. The grand “Salute to America” events in Washington, the tall-ship parades in New York Harbor, the Philadelphia Orchestra Unity Concert for America, and the backyard barbecues in every state — the mood was joyful and unapologetically pro-America. The happiness was genuine, rooted in gratitude for the American story, and the simple pleasures of liberty. Patriotism and national pride were on full display, especially in the heartland where the celebrations felt most authentic.
The unity felt different for America’s 250 than in 2001. The attacks on 9/11 was an external enemy that forced us together. Today, the threats are internal — ideological, cultural, and institutional.
Powerful viral content circulating this holiday, such as Spencer Pratt’s widely shared montage providing an obvious contrast of American pride and Communism. It juxtaposed clips of New York City’s Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivering a 250th birthday address heavy on immigrant grievances, anti-law enforcement and class warfare narratives, with wholesome American family scenes, like a mother and child baking cookies together, before highlighting communist imagery (such as Mao) and closing on the heroic Iwo Jima flag-raising. One can conclude the message was meant to depict that Mamdani (and other politicians like Francesca Hong) truly believe communism is the only answer for America’s next 250 years.
Here in Wisconsin, flags flew over cornfields and lakefronts while neighbors shared brats, BBQ, and enjoyed small town parades. Wisconsin’s character has always been a microcosm of what makes America exceptional. Our farmers feed the world. Our workers build things that last. Our communities still believe in taking care of our own while welcoming those who come to join, not transform America. These are the things worth fighting for.
At America’s 250th, we must reject anti-traditional, socialist visions of our country in favor of the timeless values of family, freedom, and unapologetic patriotism that built the heartland. In Wisconsin, this choice is embodied by the common-sense conservatism of Tom Tiffany versus the far-left socialist agenda of democrats in the race for governor.
What makes America (and Wisconsin) so incredible is not perfection, but the promise. A constitutional republic that limits government power and protects individual rights. A culture that rewards effort and innovation rather than enforcing equal outcomes. A land of breathtaking beauty and boundless opportunity where families can build lives of dignity and purpose. The same spirit that sent Marines up the black sands of Iwo Jima in a courageous fight against tyranny still lives in the hearts of Americans who refuse to surrender their birthright to collectivist ideologies that have failed everywhere they’ve been tried.
We cannot pretend the danger isn’t real. Communist and socialist ideas have infiltrated government institutions, school curricula, media narratives, and corporate boardrooms. Communists always reveal themselves through policies that erode borders and sovereignty, curricula that replace American history with victimhood and grievance studies, and rhetoric that treats our founding documents as obstacles and outdated pieces of paper rather than transformative documents solidifying our inalienable rights that laid the groundwork to build the freest nation the world has ever known. When major cities are led by avowed democratic socialists who use our 250th birthday to push ideological counter-narratives instead of unifying celebrations, it is not harmless difference of opinion. It is part of a movement to fundamentally transform the country we love.
July 4, 2026 reminded me of September 12, 2001. Then, our unity was instinctive and emotional. The happiness and pride we saw this weekend was real and encouraging — proof that the American spirit is strong, especially in places like Wisconsin. But sustaining that spirit for the next 250 years requires choosing anti-communism over anti-America. It means teaching our children the true, inspiring story of our founding rather than narratives designed to make them ashamed and resentful of our country. It means securing our borders, protecting our families, defending free speech and religious liberty, and supporting leaders who unequivocally put Americans first.
Devout communists always write checks that their bodies can’t cash. Wisconsin has proven it can punch above its weight in defending American values. As we build stronger coalitions for common-sense governance and push back against communism, we show the rest of the country what fighting for the right things looks like.
This 250th birthday was not just a party. It was a test and a reminder. The same love of country that united us in the days after 9/11 is alive today in parades, fireworks, and small town America. The question is whether we will defend it with the same clarity and courage.
America is worth it. Wisconsin is worth it. The next 250 years belong to those willing to fight for the principles that made us the greatest force for human flourishing the world has ever known.
God bless America and God bless the great state of Wisconsin.
