In 2016, Congress set up the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission to organize the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. The Commission, a nonpartisan body, was tasked with engaging Americans all over the country to prepare for “the largest and most inclusive anniversary observance in our nation’s history.” The multi-year effort, culminating in the anniversary date on July 4, 2026, is supposed to be “an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.”

The Commission, working in concert with America250, aims to “inspire our fellow Americans to reflect on our past, strengthen our love of country, and renew our commitment to the ideals of democracy through programs that educate, engage, and unite us as a nation.” In addition, America250 will “foster shared experiences that spark imagination, showcase the rich tapestry of our American stories, inspire service in our communities, honor the enduring strength, and celebrate the resilience of the United States of America.”

All those are exceptionally lofty and well-articulated aspirations. But unfortunately, the Commission and America250 have been strangely quiet. It sounds from their mission statement that there should at least have been some occasional activities during the past eight years in preparation for the big day next year. As far as I know, not much, if anything, has happened.

On January 29 this year, President Trump issued an Order establishing Task Force 250, a White House task force that will coordinate the planning of the anniversary. The group, chaired by the President himself, will direct communications between executive departments and agencies and the United States Semiquincentennial Commission to “plan, organize, and execute an extraordinary celebration of the 250th Anniversary of American Independence.” In the two months that the task force has been in existence, little has been said publicly about its activities, and whether it has collaborated with the Semiquincentennial Commission in any fashion.

From what I have read about the Bicentennial, the official celebrations began on April 1, 1975, a full fifteen months before the anniversary date. That commemoration start date also fell at a time when America was still traumatized by the Vietnam war, Watergate, and the culture wars of the 1960s. President Gerald Ford addressed the nation on December 31, 1975, the eve of the Bicentennial Year. He used his speech to call for a national rebirth and restoration of the traditional American values of dignity, equality, and liberty.

We are two days away from April 1 and there is still no word that I can find anywhere in the mainstream press about the Semiquincentennial. Given our current state of affairs, with Blue and Red America living in the same house but not on speaking terms, are we even capable of celebrating this birthday the way it should be? Or perhaps did we forget about it because we are too distracted by the fighting? I wasn’t a citizen of this great nation during the Bicentennial so I have been eagerly awaiting the Semiquincentennial. Those planning the commemoration should get on it.

Our present-day civil war had just started when the Semiquincentennial Commission was created in 2016. The feuding has greatly intensified since then. This country desperately needs someone, or something, to unify it. The Semiquincentennial presents a magnificent opportunity for that renaissance. We must seize it. Some focus on this momentous milestone will help brighten the national mood immensely.