A Patriotic Fourth: What Does That Mean Now?

The New York Times visited Pine for this story!

A Patriotic Fourth: What Does That Mean Now?
By JACK HEALY, JESS BIDGOOD and ALAN BLINDER
JULY 3, 2017

Ryan David Brown for The New York Times

Even a divided country can come together to celebrate its birthday. Can’t it?

This Fourth of July weekend, we wanted to see how patriotic Americans were feeling as they hit the road to beach parties, mountain cabins and backyard barbecues across this fractious, fractured country.

Are people still taking pride in a country rippling with waves of anger and resistance, riven by resentments and bitterly divided over issues like health care and immigration? Can patriotism encompass both supporting the president and marching against him? Standing during the national anthem and taking a knee in protest?

To find out, we headed to roadside restaurants, outlet stores and rest stops in Colorado, Georgia and New Hampshire and spoke with about three dozen people as they stopped for bathroom breaks and reheated hot dogs. Some interviews have been condensed.

Doug Windemuller. Credit Ryan David Brown for The New York Times

Doug Windemuller, 73, a mostly retired financial planner, was buying buns, milk and Coke at the Pine Junction Country Store, just down the road from his home in Pine, Colo. Traffic gets so bad on the two-lane roads that he and his wife are spending the weekend close to home with friends and having a backyard hot-dog roast.

How was he planning to celebrate?

Roger Ash, 51, and his son, Ethan, 14, were in Pine, Colo., headed for a day of mountain biking before their family flew from Denver to Costa Rica for a vacation. Ethan wasn’t sure whether there would be fireworks down there. Roger, a teacher in Denver, said the holiday made him think back to his days working for the Peace Corps.