This is a redux of an article I put up on ScottsdaleCitizen.com last year.
As Councilman Bob Littlefield says of Memorial Day being treated like National Bar B Que Day, most folks think the 4th of July Day is National Fireworks Day. For many Zonies, the 4th of July is either a day to argue about whether fireworks should be used in the tinderbox that is our pre-monsoon desert; or it’s a weekend to spend out-of-the-heat on the Mogollon Rim or in San Diego.
This year the 4th of July [list of other historical events] falls on Thursday. Always looking for an excuse to extend stays in cooler climes, many Zonie travelers left last Friday and won’t return until a week from today. Thus, Independence Day becomes a week-long holiday!
We celebrate remarkable men undertaking a bold action: Breaking away from the most formidable empire in the world to form a new nation that, despite occasional faults, shines as an example for all. Many of the Signers of the Declaration suffered great personal cost as a result, and knowing this risk they did it anyway.
Some interesting facts about Independence Day: It’s celebrated on the 4th of July because that’s the date that appears on the Declaration of Independence. However, the act of declaring independence actually occurred the 2nd of July, 1776 when the Second Continental Congress voted in closed session to approve a resolution declaring independence.
The delegates approved the final draft of the declaration document on the 4th. And most historians agree that the document wasn’t actually signed until about a month later.
Being Arizonans, perhaps we should just declare an Independence Month, and go to the coast (or the mountains) to be free of the heat until we get some rain!
If it’s just too hot for you to get out, you can at least watch videos of your Scottsdale City Government in action in the last two meetings before summer break on Cox CityCable Channel 11 or streaming on your computer.
President Thomas Jefferson
Afterward, I hope you have a safe holiday…and keep in mind that two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, eventual presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the 4th of July. Please take care of yourself if you remain here in the heat, and use caution if you are traveling. We need your to help with Scottsdale city government after the holiday!