We’re not allowed to have an American identity. Trying to cling to traditions is considered a conservative thing and thus inherently racist. American can only be defined by her failures, and any attempt to point out the successes is considered whitewashing history or something.

There were a number of places that sought to, or outright skipped, the Independence Day celebration this year. It’s now totally normal for some people to find the US flag “problematic” and itself a sign of oppression.