SAN JOSE (KCBS RADIO) – Residents all around the Bay Area marked America's birthday with parades and festive celebrations on Monday, though this year's Fourth of July also came with an air of anxiety about the country's future.
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San Jose's Rose, White and Blue Parade and Festival hit the streets once again after two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People lined up along the parade route and had an awful lot that they were looking forward to.
"Just seeing the sense of community that it always brings about," one parade spectator told KCBS Radio. "I think the kids are excited for candy."
However, amid the good times, ongoing national political strife was still weighing on the minds of many.
An attendee named Emily brought a lawn chair which included a small protest to the recent Supreme Court Decision, overturning Roe V Wade.
"I have a sign on my chair that days I'm not American, I’m Californian, because I at least have rights here in California," she said.
"I'm sad that the America I grew up with, my daughter won’t be growing up with."
However, decked out in red white and blue, Emily said she still came here to celebrate "the freedoms that I do still have while I have them."
Others expressed similar anxieties, but also said they have hope that a day like this can offer a chance to come together …
"Just look around us, I see all the people from all kinds of different cultures here, there’s all kinds of different cultures represented in this parade. It’s always a beautiful thing to see," one male attendee said.
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