Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA
Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Independence Day, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

They arrive on foot, or bicycle, or car, or bus, or subway, or train, or boat. They arrive alone, or in pairs, or in groups; thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands when all added up. A steady stream of humanity all anticipating twenty minutes of the best pyrotechnic splendor known on the planet - the annual Independence Day fireworks show in Boston celebrating the 235th anniversary of this nation.

Long after the train left the station, people are still streaming off the platform.

They fill the Charles River in boats small and large.

They crowd the shoreline for miles - wherever they can squeeze in and have a view of the fireworks.

They line up early in the morning to stake out a spot on the ground in front of the Hatch Shell where they wait for hours in the hot sun until the live music begins at night.

They crowd onto docks and marinas.

Many sport the red, white, and blue colors of America.

And many local residents display the colors proudly.

And finally, the wait is over.

But, this blog is about the event itself. If you want to see more photos of fireworks, you'll have to look elsewhere or, plan now to come to Boston next year!

And at the end of the night, all the folks head back home hopefully reminded and appreciative of what it means to live as a free people under the rule of law. It's not perfect but, as Winston Churchill said in the 1940's: "it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried from time to time."

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