July the 4th

I am English.

This is not, however, going to be me complaining about the US celebrating their Independence Day. Oh no, not I, not at all.

This does not mean that I am above mockery. I am very much not above mockery. Indeed, I am very much down with mockery. Were I a good deal cooler than I am then I would probably realise that saying "down with" isn't actually cool any more, nor is using the word "cool", but I digress. A lot. But that's not the point right now. The point, right now, is that I am quite happy mocking all and sundry.

Most years, when July the 4th rolls around, I am quite happy to post something on-line saying something along the lines of "letting off fireworks in celebration of not being in charge of people who'd ban the teaching of Evolution" or maybe "celebrating not having Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck be someone who's in any way connected to being in a colony of ours" or some such pithy, and let's face it, rubbish, joke. I am quite happy for the US citizens that it is my good fortune to know to tell me to go do one when I do this. It's OK, I deserve it, that's all fine and dandy. I am also quite happy for any and all US citizens to celebrate their independence. It is the kind of thing that nations celebrate.

Where things have become a bit strange is what I'm getting to. Where things have become a bit strange is that an e-mail was sent around where I work (by a manager no less) saying that there is going to be a celebration on July the 4th. Yes, you're thinking that you know that, but I was not clear and I don't feel like editing my previous sentence. We are going to be celebrating on July the 4th, in England, in the place where I work.

I find this to be a bit odd.

Upon seeing the notice in the break room I have seen that there will be a selection of US foods (hot dogs and brownies and, well, a lot of things that we eat too really) and that the people organising this would like people to dress up in an American theme. I wear a shirt/trousers combination to work. I am aware that a lot of Americans wear a shirt/trousers combination to work. But of course I'm an idiot! This isn't the idea at all! No, we're expected to wear things that are particularly American! So, as we're celebrating US independence you might think that we would be expected to dress up as, oh I don't know, George Washington or something. Maybe someone else notable (maybe JFK with head wound, heh heh heh, maybe not) like good ol' Ab' Lincoln. No, if you were thinking that then you too are an idiot, as of course we're supposed to dress as Elvis (Presley of course, not Costello, that wouldn't work at all) or something else pop culture related. Yes, not content with missing the point about it being a celebration, in essence, of kicking the asses of the vicious and greedy British Empire, they've also missed the point of it being a largely political celebration. Apparently we're just celebrating the US, its culture, and being blissfully patronising about it.

What bothers me isn't so much that the person organising our corner of Independence Day celebratory happenings is allowed to manage people, it isn't so much that they're allowed to vote and be active in society, it is that they are allowed at all.

This can't just be me can it? Surely people in the US would think that it was really stupid for people in Britain to be throwing a party on July the 4th.

I just do not get people.