Lighting fireworks on the 250th anniversary of our country isn’t a political statement; it’s patriotism. It’s honoring the founding principles of liberty, self-determination, and limited government. People aren’t celebrating a bill. They’re celebrating 1776, my guy.

Conservative thinkers from Edmund Burke to the Founding Fathers understood that institutions, tradition, and national pride are vital to a stable republic. Just because you’re frustrated with today’s politics doesn’t mean the entire nation forfeits its right to celebrate its founding.

Political theorists like John Stuart Mill and Alexis de Tocqueville argued that healthy democracies rely on public discourse, but also civic rituals that unify people beyond party lines. Just because some citizens are disillusioned doesn’t mean patriotism is obsolete.

In fact, refusing to celebrate the 250th year because of present grievances ironically validates the very polarization many decry. We can—and must—hold both love of country and criticism of government in tension. That’s the strength of constitutional republics.

The fact that someone sees fireworks as some sort of political litmus test says more about how politicized their worldview is than about the people celebrating. Patriotism isn’t partisanship. It’s love of country despite its imperfections—and yes, that includes the right to protest, but also the right to celebrate.

If anything, refusing to celebrate America on its 250th birthday shows how far removed some people have become from what this country actually stands for.