When Newsweek magazine included Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a list of "America's Dying Cities" the people of Grand Rapids got together and created this response. Filmed in one ten-minute continuous shot, this video has been called "the greatest music video ever made." There are appearances by the mayor, city councilmen and representatives of all sectors of the community. Without a doubt it is living proof of the American spirit and the refusal of Grand Rapids to be classified as a city with a "bleak future".
The people of Grand rapids were not afraid to enthusiastically disagree with the media when they considered that they had been wrongly labelled - after all, that's freedom of speech, and community loyalty all rolled into one! They fought back - not in anger and bitterness but with joy and pride,
Here we are. This is who we are and we are not dying.
"Hallowed be the day, forever bright its memory in the heart of the Nation.
Sing to it, poets;
shout to it, freemen;
celebrate it with bonfires, parades, and triumphant assemblies"(Daily Alta California, 4 July 1855).
Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It's a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks, and a reason to fly the American flag.
See much more about Independence Day on usa.gov.
