Editorial
It took massive pressure from the local faith community for the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce to reverse their ban on religious symbols in this year’s Fourth of July Parade – specifically, the Christian cross. Pastors even called out the absurd policy from the pulpit on June 30.
On July 1, the chamber’s president and CEO Linda Coppess issued a statement to inform the public that “the executive board of directors has made an exception for the religious symbols,” after receiving thousands of emails from concerned citizens and strong pushback across social media.
The statement read in part, “Our goal for the Fourth of July Parade is to create a celebration that honors our military, fosters family-friendly fun, and respects all attendees … This year, we introduced guidelines to ensure we honor America’s military and not open the door to offensive displays … We genuinely desire to create a wonderful family-oriented day in CDA to honor our military.”
These words show that Coppess and the rest of the executive board at the Cd’A Regional Chamber are completely illiterate as to the purpose of the Fourth of July celebration. It is not a day designed to celebrate the military – we have other national holidays to honor the men and women of the US military, including Armed Services Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. It is also not designed to be agnostic and there is nothing offensive about displaying symbols of Christianity, which is the bedrock of our Western culture and the foundation upon which this nation was founded.
Independence Day is the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document that enumerated 27 grievances against the ruling power and evoked the protection of divine Providence as prominent Christian men pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to become free citizens. It is a celebration of the little guy standing up for himself against all odds.
Most importantly, Independence Day is about celebrating liberty and freedom. It’s about reminding governing bodies all across the country that Americans are fiercely independent and will not be ruled by unjust forces. It’s about honoring the fighting spirit of our American forebearers, who would be considered rebels, insurrectionists, and terrorists in today’s America.
That organizers of our Independence Day celebration have tried to place limitations on how free citizens can express themselves is the height of hypocrisy. By natural right and historical precedence, not only should the parade entries display whatever symbol of their faith they want, but they can and should display their own list of grievances against the ruling powers in Coeur d’Alene.
It’s time to move past all these ridiculous rules meant to create environments free of “offensive displays.” This type of censorship is blatantly anti-American and is meant to cut at the very core of what it means to live in a free America.
