July 3rd, one day away from the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
On the large lawn of Independence Square in Philadelphia, white chairs have been arranged. People have gathered together to welcome this celebration that marks a moment in American history. Afterwards, there will be music shows, light shows, and fireworks displays, all leading up to midnight on July 4th.
On Independence Square in Philadelphia, people are preparing for the 205th anniversary celebration of the founding of the United States.
But the scene is not always harmonious. On the walls next to the former residence, there are signs opposing Trump and capitalism. Many young people gather here to express their dissatisfaction with the current situation.
Philadelphia was the center of the Constitutional Convention, where the United States Constitution was drafted, and the spirit of the Declaration of Independence was forged here. “This is a great milestone,” said an American young person at the event to the Observer Network. “But now, I feel embarrassed about our government.”
Two young Americans talk with Observer Network
When asked why they chose Washington’s former residence as a place to express their views, the two young people answered without hesitation—this is the heart of America.
"The Constitution was drafted here, the entire legal framework was born here, and the entire United States began here," a US young person said to Observer.net. "We believe it is very important to make our voices heard here, in order to be faithful to the true intent of the founding fathers and to protect the rights we are entitled to under the Constitution."
However, the symbolic meaning of Philadelphia holds an even more urgent significance in their eyes. “They want to censor the younger generation,” they said of the current government’s policies. “They don’t want people to believe that the president might do bad things. They want the public to trust Trump so much that they no longer worry about the government and no longer bother to understand the truth.”
This inevitably reminds people of a series of actions Trump will take after returning to the White House in 2025 – from signing executive orders that weaken federal employees’ occupational protections, to limiting ‘birth citizenship’, and even interfering with elections and voting rights. And Philadelphia, a city that witnessed the birth of the American democratic system, is now also witnessing the anxiety of the younger generation towards the current state of democracy.
It's somewhat ironic that there is a basement in Washington's residence, which was built so that Washington wouldn't want visitors to see the slaves who lived there.
When asked about their views on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the two young people were clearly in a complex emotional state.
"I am certainly proud of my country," the girl said, "We are still a first-world nation. We still have rights and we can still do such things — freely express ourselves here — this itself fills me with hope."
But she also said, “Our negative views of the government are not good. Because we need to maintain hope in order to truly change things and truly make this country grow.”
In her view, countries like China and India have ancient civilizations and longer histories. In comparison, the United States is only 250 years old and still too young compared to other ancient nations. The United States needs to take proactive actions and grow actively. “We don’t want to feel embarrassed in international relations,” she said. “We want to grow in a way that truly reflects who this country should be.”
This tug-of-war between pride and embarrassment seems to be a microcosm of this year’s 250th anniversary celebration of the founding of the nation. On one hand, there was an overwhelming celebration of National Day, with expositions in National Square, speeches paying tribute to America, and a spectacular display of 851,000 fireworks. On the other hand, many Americans—especially young people—are reflecting on whether the “American Dream” still exists and whether this country is on the right track.
Two young people also spoke candidly about their upbringing—a “very red area,” where the Republican Party holds absolute dominance. In such an environment, their stance differs significantly from that of their peers.
"In our place, many children only follow their parents' beliefs, which left them uninformed about the media reports on Trump. They either treated these news as jokes or simply ignored them. They didn't watch the news, did not research any facts, so they were incapable of truly understanding what the current president was doing."
The consequence of this blind obedience is that young people are “glorifying” Trump, convincing themselves and others that “they won’t lose their rights”. But in reality, they are “opposing themselves and harming society”.
However, she also expressed a glimmer of hope: 'Among our generation, many friends either have no interest in politics at all, or they think Trump is a bad person. But I believe that more and more people are starting to wake up. The Generation Z is waking up, and this makes me very happy.'
Young people leave messages on anti-Trump banners
In a conversation with the Observer Network, two young people gave harsh criticism of Trump. In their view, the president is trying to consolidate power in the White House, influence judges, and stay in power for as long as possible.
He is pushing us into a situation where we may lose our rights at any time. Although he is not yet a dictator, he is leading us towards such a situation.
This attitude of young people is closely related to a series of controversial policies implemented by Trump during his second term. From deporting large numbers of immigrants and reducing the size of the government, to attempting to reshape the federal judicial system, Trump's 'fast-acting' style is seen as efficient by his supporters, but as a threat by his opponents.
Those who support him are all billionaires, because he created more wealth for them. In return, they also like him. Young people told Observer Network: "Trump is trying to control the big picture and keep his power as long as possible to advance the agenda of himself and those billionaires concerned."
"Our generation needs to pay more attention, because I don’t know if there are enough people who have hope and believe that we can get through this situation." The reason for coming to Philadelphia on the eve of the 250th anniversary celebration of the founding of the country is to awaken more Americans who are still in a state of numbness.
When asked about their attitude towards Trump and the American government, two young people said that one hoped Trump would “resign himself,” while another shouted, “We are always stronger than you!”
