"“noteworthy that every American considers it his sacred duty to have a likeness of Washington in his house, just as we have images of God's Saints.”"
"“As the nation's 250th anniversary nears, the Trump administration has come up with observances thatshow a limited image of American history, as in its visually conventional The Story of America video series, full of yellowed parchment and tricorn hats.”"
"“Other commemorations are essentially celebrations of the current president: The U.S. Mint is set to issue a commemorative gold Donald Trump coin, and one of the administration's first observances of the anniversary year was a military parade that coincided with the president's birthday.”"
"“His coffee table was piled high with books on the subject-canonical, specialist, and obscure-and many slave narratives.”"
A historical account describes Americans treating George Washington likenesses as a sacred duty, comparable to religious images. Modern commemorations continue this impulse, using visually conventional patriotic imagery and limiting portrayals of American history. Anniversary observances include a gold coin featuring the current president and a military parade timed to the president’s birthday, reinforcing a connection between the nation and its leader. This approach can obscure the boundary between national identity and presidential loyalty, which aligns with claims that criticizing the president is unpatriotic. A different model of patriotism appears in reflections on Philip Roth, emphasizing deep reading about slavery and a desire to understand America fully and in detail.
#american-patriotism #political-commemoration #trump-administration #historical-representation #philip-roth
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