Durango’s Fourth of July carried many undertones on Saturday: The day marked the United States’ 250th anniversary following Colorado’s primary elections. Fires were raging across Southwest Colorado, many people were reeling from economic stress, and national politics remain deeply divisive.
Some people in downtown Durango felt grateful for their freedom. Some said national politics tempered their patriotism. Still others were thankful for the chance to celebrate together despite political divisions.
The Durango Herald hit the streets Saturday to check with residents and visitors about how patriotic they were feeling and what “patriotism” means to them. Here is what they said.
“Extremely patriotic,” Lori Scarafiotti said. “Just so proud to be American and thankful that so many have fought for our freedom.”
Stu Robertson said he feels patriotic every day. He said he’s Canadian and he married Lori, an American.
“The freedom to live in North America” is what patriotism means to him, he said. “The whole population needs to understand and realize. No Hitler, no Stalin. Look at Cuba, look at Venezuela, they go socialist.”
Lynn Deary was at the Durango Farmers Market with her husband Saturday morning. She wore an Uncle Sam-style hat, a shirt with a Betsy Ross flag and text within the circle of stars that read “250 years.”
“I am a veteran’s daughter and I was taught from the time I was (very young) all of this is because of this,” Lynn Dearey said.
She pointed to her husband Shawn Dearey’s T-shirt, which depicted the iconic World War II photo, “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima.”
“I just want every generation to remember that, that we’re free because of what they did,” Lynn said. “How patriotic? I’m bursting.”
To her, patriotism is knowing she lives in a country that’s free because God gave the people freedom.
“It’s living your life knowing you’re free,” she said.
Shawn said he couldn’t say it any better than Lynn did.
“I’ve watched all the war stories. My dad served a little bit. I would give my life for this country. I don’t know if everybody could say that,” he said.
Shawn said patriotism is appreciation for living in one of the only countries in the world that gives its people complete freedom to do what they want.
“I sent a text to my family and I just said, ‘Happy 250 years of freedom,’” he said.
While many people in downtown Durango wore their love for the United States in flashy reds, whites and blues on their sleeves, others strained to reconcile their values with the values of the nation’s leadership.
Bayfield resident Delaney Randolph struggled to pinpoint how patriotic she was feeling Saturday.
“Kind of. Yes?” she said after thinking. “There’s a lot going on in the world right now, so it’s good to see good in our community and people come together.”
Randolph said standing up for good and what oneself believes the country stands for is how to embrace patriotism.
“It’s really important to recognize all of the people that came before us, including Indigenous people and people of color. That’s really hard in a time like right now. Politics really tends to divide people – for good reason – and so it’s nice to see people come together and celebrate in their own ways. But also, it’s important to be aware of what’s happening in the world.”
“Pretty patriotic, I would say,” said Durango resident Theresa Lazzaro. “I think there are patriotic feelings in the air in general.”
She said Americans need to come together, and she would like it if everyone would air some positivity and encourage community, and she would like to stay away from the division that is being pushed on people.
Patriotism means making the nation the best it can be and working together with fellow humans to make that happen.
“I’d say quite patriotic,” Nick Tinaey said. “My grandfather was a vet, so I heard a lot of his stories, the sacrifices that we’ve made over the years to try to be together as a group. It’s kind of hard with the current division you’re feeling in this moment, but we’re at our 250th. It’s something to celebrate. That’s pretty wild for a democracy to be able to live that long.”
Lazzaro chimed in, saying, “Let’s keep it living.”
Tinaey said coming together as a group and having a common feeling that everyone is in it together reflects real patriotism.
“Oh, very. I appreciate this country so much,” Jerri Rose said. “We have to remember the people who worked so hard to make this country what it is and given their lives for this country. When we have Memorial Day or Fourth of July, that’s the thing that is the most important to think about.”
She said patriotism is about making the United States a better place for people to live and raise families, and about being appreciative of where one lives and what has come and gone before the present.
“Not extremely, not very,” Mancos resident Celeste Moore said. “The current administration and the decisions that they made don’t align with my personal beliefs, and that just made the last couple years pretty difficult.”
Moore said she is an environmentalist, and she is concerned about the state of the natural world.
“The fire and the smoke from the Ferris Fire was blowing into the valley today, and it’s just a bummer,” she said. “It’s hard to see that happen with the drought we’re in. We just lost some firefighters on the Utah-Colorado border, so it’s hard. I want to be proud of my country, but I don’t think I am at the moment.”
Being proud of one’s country, being proud of the country’s decisions for its people and with regard to foreign policy, and doing one’s own part contributing to causes that help other people is what patriotism is all about.
Downtown Durango was a melting pot of opinions on Saturday. Some people had concerns about specific national politics, but they were determined not to let that ruin a good day and chose to focus on the positives. Some people felt pride for the country and its institutions. Others were just glad to see people from different walks of life outdoors enjoying the festivities together.
“Very,” Durango resident Miguel Moreno said. “So lucky, because I’m Mexican, Mexican! So to be American, to have the opportunities to work and earn a good living is really appreciated right now. It’s really hard right now because ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and all those things are coming, but you can’t think about negativity.”
Patriotism is about having the right to work, to be happy and to own land, he said.
Others said they are feeling patriotic every day and respect the nation’s founding documents.
“Very patriotic. I’ve always been patriotic. The country’s always been top priority,” Roger Rhodes said.
He said patriotism is about upholding the U.S. Constitution and preserving the people’s rights.
“What I’m interested in: low taxes, low gas prices. I’m a Trump guy. I wasn’t at first, but I came around,” he said.
“More than normal,” Marianne Thomas said, letting loose a nervous laugh. “It’s just a great community, a lot of kids, a lot of families. It makes you forget some of the chaos and embrace the community.
She said she’ll skip defining what patriotism means to her because “I’m just not in a good space to answer that question.”
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