City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael C. Nutter speaks of the freedoms we enjoy in the U.S. Behind him are a statue of George Washington, The Declaration of Independence and Independence Hall. (Phil Randell/The Epoch Times)
A crowd of Philadelphians and tourists patiently waited in front of Independence Hall,the building in which the Declaration of Independence and U.S Constitution were signed, for the festivities to begin.
At 10:15, the bell in the Independence Hall tower, which replaced the Liberty Bell after it had cracked, rang 13 times, and emcee Melanie Johnson began the proceedings, referring to the day as “America's birthday in America's birthplace.”
Johnson is is the executive director of Sunoco Welcome America! Sunoco is the lead sponsor for SWA!, which organizes the July 4 festivities in Philadelphia. According to a fact sheet from SWA!, their celebration is the “largest known Independence Day celebration in the nation.”
The Tian Gao Marching Band performing on Philadelphia's Market Street on July 4. In China, the band members could be arrested because of their spiritual belief in Falun Gong. (Lily Sun/The Epoch Times)
Local military heros of the current conflicts abroad were honored during the ceremony. Onlookers were also delighted by a speech from an Abraham Lincoln “re-enactor,” and two others portraying founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams having a polite argument.
A common theme in the speeches and presentations were the contributions of African Americans and the struggles they endured to secure civil rights and equality.
To the right of the speakers' lectern was a video screen that showed excerpts of "Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia 1776-1876," an exhibition at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. On the screen, videos from the exhibition were shown of prominent leaders of the African American community of that time period. The actors spoke informally, as if they were at a small social gathering.
The primary speaker was City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, who said, “Government is our servant, not our master.” Nutter noted that the founding fathers could not have foreseen a presidential primary in which two U.S. senators, an African American male and a European American woman, were competing, but who then worked closely together as president and secretary of state.
Referring to many who have immigrated to the U.S., Nutter said, “They know what freedom means because they came from places in which liberty could be snatched away in an instant.”
Thomas Jefferson (left) and George Washington (right) drive by Independence Hall during the Philadelphia July 4 Parade. (Phil Randell/The Epoch Times)
From 8 a.m. through the beginning of the ceremony, about twenty performed the five Falun Gong exercises on the green next to the building that houses the Liberty Bell, which is just across the street from Independence Hall. The exercises, which are known to greatly improve health, were slow and gentle.
One practitioner present, Fushuang (Frank) Cui, a materials engineer who arrived the United States in August 1998, said that the Liberty Bell has “a lot of meaning for Americans and Chinese.” Referring to all Falun Gong practitioners, he said, “We are struggling to bring freedom of belief for our fellow practitioners in China.”
Other groups on the green also exercised their constitutional rights, such as Campaign For Liberty, which promotes, among other principles, a non-interventionist foreign policy and opposition to the Federal Reserve system. There were several other organizations in attendance also critical of the Obama administration's foreign and economic polices and the Federal Reserve system.
In many countries around the world, citizens critical of their governments are jailed, tortured and killed.
All of the aforementioned activities took place under the auspices of the Independence Hall Historical National Park, part of the National Park Services of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
After the ceremony concluded, an eclectic parade commenced that delighted the crowds. From throughout the city, many step and percussion bands performed. Various military and veterans groups made appearances, included a float with World War II veterans who had survived the famous “Battle of the Bulge.”
The audience was also treated to many cultural performances, such as traditional Bolivian dancing performed by Pachamama Bolivia.
Historical reenactments were also in the parade, such as an authentic Civil War-era union army brigade, the 198th Pennsylvania Volunteers. The parade watchers cheered as actors playing George Washington and Thomas Jefferson drove by, sharing a horse-drawn carriage.
Falun Gong practitioners continued to make use of the rights practitioners are denied in China. The Tian Guo Marching Band, comprised of Falun Gong practitioners, played traditional U.S. patriotic songs while marching in Tang Dynasty-style costumes.
The band formed in New York State in 2005 and has a total 10 branches in four continents, including North America, Asia, Australia/Oceania and Europe.
Smiles and cheers were given to the Tian Guo band throughout the parade route. “Beautiful, absolutely beautiful, said Lloyd Norman, a high school principal living in Exeter, Pa.
Each year, Sunoco Welcomes America! also organizes many events that lead up to the holiday, including food festivals, concerts and free movies. This year, the events began on June 23 and culminated with more events on the 4th: a street festival, a free concert featuring singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow and fireworks following the concert.
