As the United States of America approaches its 250th anniversary, KHOL asked Jackson residents about what this milestone means to them. We spoke with people in the town square, at the People’s Market, at a local brewery, atop Snow King Mountain and at the Senior Center of Jackson Hole. Here are some of their reflections on patriotism, the country’s future and how they will spend the Fourth of July.
Mayor Arne Jorgensen: For the Fourth of July this year, we’ll be in the parade, on the old fire truck.
[The] 250th anniversary of the country is an interesting statement because, I mean, it indicates that we’ve been really resilient as a country and a form of government that was new. What is the future of that? We are resilient. We’ve survived many challenges in the country. I look forward to… relearning the benefit of welcoming others into our country.
Kris Thomasburg: I’m going to ride on the Pride float [in the parade]. I’m just really excited to be here in Jackson Hole, alive in this moment.
KHOL: Do you consider yourself a patriot?
Thomasberg: That’s a good question. I’m not sure I would identify as a patriot, but I love where I live. I love that I have the freedoms that I do. And I have faith in the next generation. And I feel like there’s a lot of hope coming up behind us. And yeah, [I’m] excited for what’s to come, but currently not super hopeful for what we have.
Sandy Pitak: For the Fourth of July, we will probably go down to the parade and then we’ll go to one of the restaurants in town with friends and have lunch. You know, being the 250th, I’m glad I’m around for it.
[I am] 78 years old. You know, I really don’t remember the 200th anniversary [in 1978].
I do consider myself a patriot. I’m all for the United States. Very proud to be a citizen. [About the] future of the country, I’m a little worried. There’s so much divide in the country right now. I wish that there wasn’t, but there is.
Jay Berrones: On the Fourth of July I’m working, I always have plans to work on Fourth of July and I usually work horses. I’m a wrangler, I’m a chef, I am a farrier and an artist. Does it being the 250th anniversary of America this year mean anything to me? To be honest, no not really, if I’m very frank. It means 250 years of a soon-to-be-failing experiment, in my mind.
What I feel about the future of the country – I feel it’s dismal but also exciting, because the dismal leans towards anarchy that could reset and start something over, and I look forward to starting over. Do I consider myself a patriot? It’s a double-edged sword to say that word because the word has taken on such a weird, misconstrued meaning. I truly do look forward to the end of an experiment and the start of a new one.
Matt Hall: I’ve lived in Jackson for over 35 years. I’m a graduate of the high school. I am 48. I trade stock. And on Independence Day, I always help the Lions serve pancakes on the town square. My family goes back to pre-revolution and I know I have ancestors that fought and died to form the country. It’s important to me to think that I’m here 20 generations later because of them. I think it’s pretty tough to say if we’re going forward or backward right now. Well, I think one of the most difficult problems we have in the U.S. is immigration. The supply of workers suppresses wages. So I hope in [future] years, we will all be making more money.
