No Mood to Celebrate America at 250?

According to various polls, a substantial proportion of Americans have not been in the mood to celebrate the semiquincentennial, the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and foundation of the United States of America. Why? And what does it tell us about the state of the union?

Primary elections grind on in the states to elect the party candidates for the general election in November 2026. News reports talk of red states, blue states, and purple states, referring to states with Republican majorities, Democratic majorities and states that are a closely divided toss-up. Watching political ads is a stark reminder of the partisan division and divisiveness in the nation. It seems not just politics, but nearly everything is politically polarized, including sports, music, entertainment, education, business, and the media.

There is a constant drumbeat extolling either the accomplishments of one side or the condemnation of the miserable failures of the other. Both sides claim that every problem of the nation is the fault of the other party, who can do nothing good. In such a negative environment, is it any wonder that some are not “in the mood” to celebrate the nation’s anniversary?

The ancient Roman Empire offers a compelling study of the life of any political entity. All empires or nations go through a cycle of emerging from a crisis or an ideological movement, establishing itself by creating a government with laws and government officials, peaking in power, declining, though sometimes prolonging the decline through a series of corrective reforms, or sometimes declining quickly, and then emerging a new political entity through the next revolution.

Whether a person is “in the mood” to celebrate the nation’s origins or not depends on their perspective. Does the current “state of the state” agree with their cultural beliefs and viewpoint? Is the party in power theirs or the opposition? In the modern era of many venues of mass communication, a steady flow of hateful negativity pervades the airwaves and persuades many to have a very sour and jaded mindset.

The feelings of the citizens and slaves of Rome were widely disparate. Some benefited while others did not. Many could acknowledge the power, accomplishments, and culture while condemning the excesses, taxes, oppression, violence, dominance, and inequality of the Roman Empire.

Today, as it was in Roman Empire, there are many issues that divide the populace. While some are traditional and celebrate the customs and historical accomplishments of the nation, others are tired of political wrangling and wars and inflation, of aristocratic corruption, privilege and the wealth divide. Some celebrate civic duty and patriotism while others are ambivalent. Those who are less privileged financially struggle to put food on the table and pay the bills. Sometimes there are inflated expectations about employment, housing, school debt, inflation, immigration, or political corruption, while others have adopted ideologies like socialism, environmentalism, and other cultural issues such transgender men in women’s sports. Many are angry and gravely concerned about the direction the country is headed in.

Some are stirred to action to demonstrate and express their grievances at public gatherings, or to revolt or riot. Some believe the United States is on the brink of civil war over these issues.

Through various influences and changes in the nation’s population, individual identity, attachment, and loyalty have also become divided and more provincial and self-seeking. Their loyalty is to themselves and their small ideological group rather than the nation. As Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25).

For these and other reasons, today some are conflicted about participating in celebrating or commemorating the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America mostly due to partisan politics.

It is indeed a sad situation—but not entirely unexpected.

To understand why, be sure to read “American Liberty: Its Promise and Its Price” in the 2026 July-August edition of Tomorrow’s World magazine.