Across the United States, many Americans are celebrating their country's 250th birthday by tuning out partisan shouting and social media clamor to focus on their own personal concepts of America the Beautiful. In Associated Press interviews with citizens before the Fourth, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano in Topeka, Kansas, identified resilience rather than politics as what makes Americans awesome. "We've just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that's in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool," he said from the fireworks stand where he runs a booming side business.
The tempered enthusiasm many Americans expressed contrasts with traditional images of Americans as brash and confident. Christina Zhou, a 25-year-old research assistant from Cambridge, Massachusetts, acknowledged "lots of points of contention going around" but focused on local positive developments. "It feels a little bit more like within our own personal control," she said. In Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, farmer Mindy Dean and her family plan to milk their goats and maybe attend local fireworks, largely unbothered by the 250th celebrations. Conversely, 81-year-old retiree Neil Casey from Nashua, New Hampshire, and his friend Maureen Regan from Cambridge are roaming Boston's historical sites and Fourth of July events, immersing themselves in the anniversary atmosphere.