In Nantucket, there is an interesting conflict between churches after the Nantucket Unitarian Universalists (NUU) canceled its traditional celebration. In a letter from the church and the Rev. Erin Splaine of the Second Congregational Meeting House Society, residents were told the traditional reading of the Declaration of Independence would be canceled to better focus on the “on-going process within the congregation to better understand our own whiteness.”
Across the country, July 4th celebrations are being canceled, and protests are planned for the nation’s 250th anniversary. MS NOW anchor Ali Velshi declared this week, “I feel a deep unease about the celebrations to which I am invited to mark the 250th anniversary of our so-called democracy.” The comment mirrors a recent poll showing that 85% of Democrats describe the U.S. in negative terms, and only 10% said they view it positively.
For 25 years, the historic Nantucket Unitarian Meeting House has hosted a public reading of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
The letter announcing the cancellation from Splaine and the NUU Nantucket church is full of the usual virtue-signaling jingoism that has become common on the left:
“Our cancelling the 4th of July celebration this year reflects … an on-going process within the congregation to better understand our own whiteness.
…For those of us who are white the experience of the Rights and Privileges conferred by the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States have, for centuries, been tragically, often violently, and unequally applied to fellow citizens who are not white.”
This type of pandering and posturing has become the norm today. In a time when the American flag is denounced as a divisive and “triggering” symbol, a refusal to celebrate our Independence is yet another way of proving one’s bona fides to the perpetually enraged.
Splaine and the church stressed that she would not “engage” with critics on social media because “Social media is not the place for important, tender conversations.”
For some of us who believe that the Declaration of Independence embodies natural rights that ultimately prevailed in a more perfect union, the letter is maddening.
As I discuss in Rage and the Republic, the continuation of slavery was recognized at the time as a fundamental betrayal of those values. However, we created a system that would ultimately reject slavery and then later segregation. It was indeed a stain on our history and a sin of our founders to continue slavery. Yet, despite those imperfections, we rallied behind the founding values that define us as a people.
Thomas Paine, who (like other founding figures) was vehemently against slavery, still celebrated the founding of a new nation and a new people: “We have it in our power to begin the world over again . . . The birth-day of a new world is at hand.”
John Adams represented Massachusetts, including Nantucket, at the Continental Congress and fought to end slavery, but still understood that they had created a country based on freedoms that would ultimately prevail for everyone. He wrote his wife Abigail to predict that Independence Day would be:
“celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”
Rather than Adams, Massachusetts now has figures like Rev. Splaine who focus not on the natural rights that bind us to those ongoing conflicts that divide us. This is a holiday that allows us to take one day of the year to celebrate our shared values. In an age of rage, it is a respite from the anger and hate that consumes so many in this country.
Yet, there remain some in Massachusetts who still understand what Adams was describing 250 years ago. Another church has stepped forward to take up the celebration. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church announced it would read the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. St. Paul’s Rev. Max Wolf declared, “We may not be there yet but we felt it was important to gather together and try to live up to the promises our country has made. Those documents are aspirational.”
Amen, Reverend, Amen.
Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the New York Times best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”
“the Declaration of Independence embodies natural rights that ultimately prevailed in a more perfect union”
Puzzling that Mr. Turley still believes this. As a dad standing in the family court dock, kids already kidnaped, my family and home destroyed without cause or notice, awaiting my sentence of life-long financial slavery to a dishonest and dishonorable woman who accused me of raping my own children, I certainly don’t see that I have any rights at all, unless I’ve got half a million dollars or more to spend on lawyers.
A third or more of the adult male population in the west lives under unconstitutional court orders because of this system, but any man who points it out is labeled a ‘complainer’ and told to ‘man up.’
Pointing out that women are primarily responsible for this disgraceful state of affairs is even more taboo.
“For some of us who believe that the Declaration of Independence embodies natural rights that ultimately prevailed in a more perfect union, the letter is maddening.”
For those who believe that politics is the art of identifying The Possible, Thomas Jefferson’s 18th century perception is a clear statement of “his Truth” applicable only at that time, presented as an evolutionary aspiration that would of necessity change over time. Our Truth will also be vastly different two centuries from now. What we today accept as Truth will be judged by future generations’ exploration of what is politically possible at that time.
Reference to the Deity’s standard of Perfect and Unchanging Truth is not necessary.
Is it their right to do this? Should exercising this right be celebrated?
Let’s celebrate censorship on PT s blog. ☺.
It’s grand. Multiculturalism doesn’t work. It falls to the lowest common denominator. I need some weed and porn.
Later gators
Yes, anon, 1A and let’s celebrate it.
Let’s celebrate the Constitution. I’d like to celebrate the ranchers of beef in the USA. As the climate changers and vegans, ayotollahs and popes try to take over, let’s celebrate freedom.
☺
100% hilarious. The idiocy, however, is vastly outstripped by the wealth of those present on Nantucket Island.
Fools
In the Holier Than Us category, the Rev. Erin Splaine certainly has some ‘splainin’ to do.
The Unitarian Church believes in nothing because they believe in everything.
Hi Anonymous. The Unitarian “church”. Believes in everything as you said EXCEPT JESUS! I heard a UUC pastor spend 10-15 minutes explaining to a potential new person that her church believes and allows beliefs in everything. But when I spoke with her, see said NO Jesus. Anything else.
when we moved to southern California in 1957 we went to the Unitarian Church in Northridge, then a dilapidated ranch (folding chairs outdoors; Sunday school held in a stable!). lots of black folks and we sang “We Shall Overcome.” five cent donuts and used books after.
after a few months we moved to the Congregational Church, because dad said he didn’t think the ministers believed in God.
A woman , Leyden, writes Christian children’s books. She works there. I looked up the books and they’re standard Bible stories for children, anon.
Freedom of religion. I’m not certain what characteristics a group must have to be a religion oth.
This group on Unitarians rejects July 4th and it’s celebration because it’s a white creation. Let’s contemplate our noses next Sunday. Kidding! Presumably they’ll discuss the atrocities of the United States and its whiteness. They’ll repent.
What makes something a “religion” ?
I’ll see if Unitarian has a creed. Rev Splaine went to Harvard Divinity. It studies theology as sociology and anthropology. Usually has a diety, Harvard says, and stories, myths. Rituals and rites, code of morals, ethics. We know Unitarian has big robes. Must be the ritual part.
Discrimination, segregation, hatred, division, harming, precluding, destroying others is what human beings do, if at all possible. Jealousy, envy, murder, these things live inside the human race. Always have. Nothing in our history proves otherwise. America is likely the last great hope.
“I’m very fond of Jesus Christ. He may be the most beautiful guy who walked the face of this earth. Any guy who says ‘Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek’ has got to be a figure of unparalleled generosity and insight and madness … A man who declared himself to stand among the thieves, the prostitutes and the homeless. His position cannot be comprehended. It is an inhuman generosity. A generosity that would overthrow the world if it was embraced because nothing would weather that compassion. the figure of the man has touched me.”
– Leonard Cohen (1999)
Ben Hur, Judah Ben-Hur:
Almost at the moment He died, I heard Him say, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Esther:
Even then.
Judah Ben-Hur:
Even then. And I felt His voice take the sword out of my hand.
If He has removed the sword from your hand, you know who He is. If not, you can’t begin to imagine.
Jesus blessed them and gave them a chance, hope. They may have a better chance than others because they were blessed by him. Other groups were also blessed. Believe it and you will be made whole and good.
As long as you put “reverend” before your name you are allowed to advance any bull crap. Why?
Once again the racism of those who scream racism at every corner.
What does that have to do with the cancellation? Gawd you are soooo f*ing stoopid.
And you have no class, but we knew that already. Kinda fun to be vulgar and ridiculous when hiding behind an Anonymous moniker.
Canceled the white celebration because it’s harmful to others , immoral. Recognition it hurt people. It must not be a source of pride going forward. It made the bathwater dirty so throw the baby out. No more baths- dirty babies
It’s insane to bother you.
Trump’s New Front In War On Science
The Trump administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that was put in place a decade ago to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems and powerful currents that affect the global climate.
The National Science Foundation said it would send ships in June to begin removing more than 900 deep-sea instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, North Carolina, and an area between Greenland and Iceland known as the Irminger Sea.
Scientists have used data from the system to understand how the ocean is absorbing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, how changes in ocean temperature such as marine heat waves might affect fisheries or signal bigger shifts in the climate, and coastal flooding along the East Coast.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/ocean-observatories-initiative.html?smid=
……………………………….
The article tells us that installing this system was a major engineering challenge. Therefore ripping it out is just mindless sabotage. And sabotage is the whole idea. “What Climate Change?? Where’s the data??”
So as America nears its 250th, our president is waging war on Science. That’s worth celebrating. ..NOT..!
BREAKING CBS NEWS HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY POD PEOPLE
It is a charitable stretch to call the Unitarian Universalist Whatever a “church”. If there is any worship to be had in those environs it is self worship. However, I notice that their clerics can usually be seen wearing the regalia of a genuine minister/priest/pastor, including a Roman Collar. They worship via lawn signs and bumperstickers.
Humanism? If it’s human, it’s good.
Trump Profited From War
Donald Trump’s latest financial disclosure has opened an unusually detailed window into the scale and pace of trading activity tied to the US president’s investment portfolio.
The filing, submitted on Thursday to the US Office of Government Ethics through two OGE Form 278-T reports, disclosed more than 3,600 transactions executed between January and the end of March 2026.
The cumulative value of the trades ranged from at least $220 million (€188mn) to as much as $750 million (€641mn) as federal ethics disclosures only require broad valuation bands rather than precise figures.
Based on the dates of the transactions it is also apparent that Trump heavily bought the price dip in March caused by the start of the Iran war. The S&P 500 dropped over 8% and bottomed at the end of the month, subsequently rising around 19% to record highs.
https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/stock-trade-disclosure-reveals-trump-111526929.html?guccounter=
…………………………………….
Not surprisingly, at least half of the country feels sour about our 250th. Trump took advantage of a war he started to cash in on the market. How obnoxious is that?
^ Chinese Communist Party propaganda bot, ignore ^
This guy is changing our minds.
We’re all gonna vote for Kamalala Worthless in 2028.
You failed to post this part.
__________________
US presidents are not banned from trading financial markets but must disclose personal trades. No charges were made or proven acts of insider trading have been outlined but the revelation still draws ethics scrutiny and a push for trading restrictions.
That’s outright BS pal. You lie you idiot.
LYING IDIOT BS ANON!!
“. . . Trump heavily bought . . .”
The Left’s capacity for lying knows no bounds.
Trump did *not* buy anything. His investment portfolio is in a blind trust. Those investments are managed and controlled by third-party firms.
Unitarian Universalists?
Who cares?
I don’t know if anyone really “cares.” But it does make for entertaining reading to see how downright stupid the UU’s are.
Meanwhile, in England, a non-white Sikh fatally stabs a white 19-year-old college kid, Henry Nowak, the police show up and handcuff the white kid while he bleeds out and never handcuff the killer. As he bled out, he told the police he was wounded and couldn’t breath. But he was white, so the police didn’t care. Everyone knows that if he hadn’t been white he might have been taken to the hospital and survived. So when a batshit crazy-ass stupid Unitarian minister says the stupid moronic leftist stuff about whiteness, I say, GFY, you pathetic left-wing brain-dead clown.
This was no doubt due to the DEI / CRT training the police had been given on “white privilege.” The remedy they are taught is to let white victims of violent crime bleed out and die, while treating the brutal non-white killer with kid gloves.
And the only reason the British police don’t arrest and prosecute the Islamic rape-gangs is because they are people of color and the rape victims are white. You know that if the colors were reversed, they police would be all over the problem and there would be thousands of prosecutions. But because the victims are white girls . . . crickets.
This will be the catalyst that causes the people to rise up against the corrupt labor party government and force a change.
REMIGRATION
“we rallied”
Turley didn’t do any such thing.
Currently Turley remains on the side that supported slavery and segregation. Those battles having been lost in the past. Turley now moves onto new battles against transsexuals, homosexuals, and the continuing sidelining of a variety of racial minorities and everyone with a low income under the guise that it’s all water under the bridge and no further consideration should be made to ease the damage that lingers.
As a self-described Christian nation nothing about how it is governed right now shows any sign of Christ. Instead there is much in common with the pre-Christian era Roman Empire. Brutality, economy, and entertainment diversions figured prominently. Now the President of the USA is scheduling a blood fight on the White House lawn with spectators selected to put on a show. What is positive about that?
The main difference between Democrats and Republicans is Democrats see the rot and want to repair it and Republicans look at the same thing and pridefully say “I did that.” A near doubling of gas prices is one obvious example, a direct result of Republican beliefs.
^ Now there’s a psychotic, looney-tunes, alternate-reality description of some other nation on some other planet in some other galaxy. ^
Anonymous, you are right about Anonymous’ rants. As soon as I see “Turley…” not Prof. or Mr. or any sign of respect for the author of this blog on which that Anonymous or his/her/its/their clones comment, I move to the next comment. Had enough of rants.
And anons have had enough of your sickness and stupidity!
As you just prove Mary correct.
Agreed! Exactly the lack of logical cognitive thinking capabilities that separate a Democrat from a Republican.
I’m so proud of my country and what it has provided for so many people. More than any country ever in history. I love ALL Americans of All colors and denominations. Don’t let the wicked rule tour world! God Bless America! Can’t wait to party hard on the fourth of July!
8 ball——We need more citizens like you!