Is Independence Still Worth Celebrating?
Contemplating Dependence and Interdependence on the Nation’s Birthday in Remote Independence, California
Why do Californians celebrate Independence Day when we’ve given up on our independence?
That question occurred to me on a recent visit to Independence, California, a settlement of 600 people on U.S. 395, south of Bishop and north of Lone Pine in the windswept Owens Valley.
Spending the day on the streets of Independence, in the shadows of Mt. Williamson and other Eastern Sierra peaks, got me thinking about how much we talk about independence, and how little we cherish independence as a value.
While Independence is the sort of rural, out-of-the-way …
