Father Mark, the priest of the parish I’ve been attending these past few months, says he doesn’t celebrate the fourth of July because it’s a celebration of a violent insurrection. Questions of the validity of the independence from England aside, the war for American independence could have been the most ethical and just thing imaginable, but in his mind it would still be a conflict fought with violence, instead of love.

I find that admirable, and while it’s a small thing to not enjoy a barbecue once a year, it does set a precedent in a way that I like.