A New Purpose For 4th Of July

 

So, I’m definitely not the first one to say how much America kinda stinks. While I’m very thankful that I’m able to live here in the first place, and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, between the corrupt political system, the rise of inflation, the discriminatory practices that citizens use daily, and EVERYTHING our current president has ever done since he got elected, I 100% see where the people who say they hate this country are coming from.

I also understand why a good number of people aren’t too keen on celebrating Independence Day, and while I definitely won’t argue with anyone who doesn’t want to participate in 4th of July festivities, I DO want to propose that we take this day to redirect what we’re celebrating it for.

You see, we celebrate Independence Day to honor the Founding Fathers coming together to write the Declaration of Independence and make America a country, and that’s very important, no doubt, but who I’m proposing we celebrate instead are those who represent what America SHOULD be: The Straw Hat Pirates from One Piece.

Now, some of you might be thinking, “But Noah, One Piece is a Japanese IP! Why would we want to celebrate something from Japan on an American holiday?” And I’ll tell you why right now: Because the Straw Hats are the ideal we should be holding America to.

-Monkey D. Luffy, a rubbery captain who can stretch himself in every way imaginable, and whose transparency, heart, and sincerity were enough to win over 9 other people who decided to stay by his side forever.

-Roronoa Zoro, a ruthless sword master who devoted his entire life to the blade (not for himself, but for his friend who didn’t live long enough to accomplish what she wanted), and who got to where he is now purely through raw talent and ability.

-Nami, a savvy, street-smart navigator who uses her money to save/protect those she cares about, and is on her way to mapping and charting out the entire planet she lives on.

-Usopp, a normal person who’s scared of many things any other normal person would be scared of, but still steps up to face them anyway, and who uses the many lies he tells to lift others up instead of tearing them down.

-Sanji, a chef who will feed anyone who’s hungry, regardless of whether he likes them or not, and who dreams of finding a place that has enough food sources to cook to his heart’s content.

-Dr. Tony Tony Chopper, a reindeer-human hybrid who, despite being labeled as a freak not worthy of living by almost everyone who ever met him, still devoted his life to healing sick or hurt people and curing every disease known to mankind. (And who totally would have found and distributed the cure for COVID before it became the pandemic-worthy threat it did.)

-Nico Robin, an archeologist who was constantly told she’d be better off dead than alive just because she had knowledge that could threaten the government’s shady practices, and who devoted herself to finding out the real history and secrets of the world she lives in, because the people she chose wanted her to live the life she wanted.

-Franky, a mechanical genius who lives by the fact that it is not a crime to just exist, and to treat everything he builds with love and respect.

-Brook, a musician who lived for 38 years, died, and then was miraculously revived to live for 50 more years, devoting his time and energy to getting back to an old friend he never meant to desert.

-And Jinbe, a fish man who wants to be able to liberate his fellow fish men, and live in co-existence with humans, despite how badly he and his people have been treated.

For as much as people like to talk about the American Dream, this group of cartoon Japanese pirates showcases that better than anyone currently in the United States. Every Straw Hat has a dream they want to chase, but by joining Luffy's crew, they're not giving up their dreams to support his. Luffy created a space where everyone is free to chase their dreams alongside him. Luffy talks so much about wanting to be free to do whatever he wants, and he wants the same thing for his crew.

When the Straw Hats raise their Jolly Roger, they pledge to always follow their dreams and stick together while doing so, no matter what. That’s not to say doing so is an easy task. If it was, the show wouldn’t be as long as it is, but what the Straw Hats have built in the relationship they have with each other is so strong that it can still manage to get through even the toughest of times. When Kuma separated the Straw Hats all over the Grand Line, and then Luffy sent out a message to everyone saying to wait 2 years and train, everyone else could have given up and started new lives where they were, but no, they committed themselves to training and getting stronger, because they believed in the fact that they WOULD eventually meet again, and take on the New World together.

Another thing that makes the Straw Hats hold up American values better than actual America is how and why they entangle themselves with political authority and other oppressive sources. Because it’s NEVER for the sake of it. They aren’t looking for governments to tear down; it just becomes a necessary evil to protect those they care about. Which is showcased greatly in my favorite scene of the show ever.

Enies Lobby, where Robin was being held captive by someone who was more than willing to use and abuse her. When the six people whom she was trying to protect by turning herself in showed up to rescue her, she thought that once they figured out how many people had been after her and how many people had betrayed her, they would eventually do the same. Their response? Shooting down the World Government flag, basically putting themselves in the same position as Robin and declaring war on the nation that tortured their friend. Even Usopp, the guy who is known for being cowardly, not wanting to go the dangerous route, and running at the first sight of trouble, stands ten toes on business and says, “I stand with Nico Robin, and I don’t care who knows it.”

This moment right here is when the Straw Hats stopped being just a group of main characters I loved watching, but my actual role models for the kind of friend I want to be in life, and the kind of standard we should be holding this country to. Because they didn’t do that to show off, or make some grand statement about the government itself, they did it because they wanted to show one of their own that they would never EVER abandon her. To actually know what you’re going up against, to know that you’re fighting 170 nations, to know there’s a chance you might fail, but to go through with it anyway without flinching, because you love the person you’re fighting for THAT much. I can’t think of any better values to uphold as a country than fighting for the people you care about.

This is why I bought my own Straw Hat Flag and why I decided to wave it instead of an American flag today, because this rubber boy and his crew are better at showing the American spirit than most of the people in the country today. Our country may not be the greatest, but when we have characters like Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, & Jinbe around to remind us of what we can be, I’d say America’s birthday is still worth celebrating. So fellow One Piece fans, raise up your Straw Hat flags, real or metaphorical, today and remember the hope they gave you. And as for people who have never watched the show and want to know what all the fuss is about, I implore you, watch it. It may be long, but trust me, it’s worth it, and once you get into it, you’ll wonder how you kept going so long without it.