The Fourth of July is, nearly universally, a day of relaxed celebration and ritual, from enjoying grilled hot dogs, potato chips and ice cream — hey, it’s a special occasion! — to gathering with neighbors to watch fireworks. But for progressives like myself, the holiday’s star-spangled flag-waving and patriotic songs and speeches extolling America’s greatness can feel hokey or even hostile. In an increasingly polarized nation, overt declarations of national pride often morph into displays of aggressive nationalism tinged with xenophobia and jingoism. In today’s political climate, a crowd of Americans chanting “USA!” can sound more like a threat than an invitation.

Independence Day brings an uneasy political divide into focus: We are a nation split between those who believe America is a nation that requires a reckoning and those demanding only celebration.

On the latter side, consider former president Donald Trump’s proposal of a yearlong celebration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. In giving America’s founding “the incredible anniversary it truly deserves,” he calls for assigning a White House task force responsibility for throwing the “most spectacular birthday party.” To promote “pride in our history,” the 12-month “Salute to America 250” would gather teens to the capital for a national sporting contest, stage a “Great American State Fair” to showcase each state, and revive Trump’s moribund “National Garden of American Heroes.”