July 4th: A Civic Ritual
A spectacle of combustion launched into the sky is nothing short of religious ceremony, according to Bellah's theory of "the Civil Religion." On the 4th of July, people across the USA gather in fields, beaches, and skyscraping office buildings to witness a celebration of American independence through fireworks display. No matter where one may find oneself on this day, they are bound to experience a barrage of thunderous booms and flashing lights---all in the service of expressing a collective reverence for the principles with which this nation continues to define itself today; chief among them, liberty. The image above depicts an explosive bouquet stemmed with trails of smoke, suspended in the darkened sky over a flamingly reflective Lake Superior. As the photographer, I know the location in which it was taken. As for the date, it would not be difficult to ascertain even without having been there, given that it's in the context of the ...