Alternatives to the official America 250

UFC Octagon being built in front of the White House for America 250

Most Americans remain outraged and demoralized daily by the administration of the nation. If you are one who has grappled with these and other emotions, please do try to be of good mind and spirit.

One other response is that those Americans are simply exhausted. As the expression goes, what fresh hell will today bring? Pictures of the UFC Octagon being built in front of the White House fit that thought.

More is to come, especially as we draw closer to July 4, planned as a peak moment to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. America 250 has already been and will become a distortion of the history and of the values it represents. Among other things, at that historic moment 250 years ago, enlightened and oppressed people believed they could do better than living under a tyrant who cared nothing about them and everything about power and enriching himself and his friends. Because that sounds so familiar today, too close to home, we won’t hear anything about it in the official America 250.

Which is why, late as it is (so many responses to Trump are late and ineffective), we need alternatives to the official America 250. For just one example, we are going to be asked to sing both The Star Spangled Banner (official national anthem) and Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. (unofficial national anthem). I can think of many other songs we should be singing together that tell the American story, and you can too. That’s just one example of an alternative possibility.

Think and talk about how 2026 can be turned into an accurate and positive celebration of America’s admittedly imperfect history—then do it. America began as a somewhat enlightened, somewhat self-serving attempt to throw off the chains of unenlightened rule. For the rest of this year, and for the rest of this administration, we will be facing powerful attempts to rewrite history. We have the power to correct that and to transcend the unenlightened. We have the power to pursue and create alternatives. Starting with America 250.

© 2026 Bob Schwartz