by Rick Lamplugh and Mary Strickroch
You may have heard about President Trump’s plan to host a mixed martial arts (MMA) cage fight on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14th, Flag Day. He is doing this to celebrate his 80th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
For those who don’t follow MMA, it is a full-contact combat sport typically held in an octagon shaped cage. Fighters utilize almost their entire body as a weapon. Along with punching, they are allowed to kick, knee, and elbow; take their opponent to the ground; and use chokes and joint locks.
If this is not how you’d like to celebrate Flag Day, there’s an alternative. On Sunday, June 14th at 5:30 pm, the Committee for the First Amendment, in partnership with Indivisible.org, will host and stream Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, an uplifting evening of song and solidarity.
This 90-minute concert features an all-star line-up of entertainers, including Jane Fonda, Patti Smith, Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, Sasha Allen, Joy Reid, Wilson Cruz, Broadway Inspirational Voices, and others.
Rise Up, Sing Out will celebrate the freedoms guaranteed by our First Amendment—speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition—and the people power that fuels these rights and is essential to guarantee them.
The event will be streamed with watch parties across the country—so wherever you are, you can invite family, friends, neighbors, and sing along, be inspired, and build community. Your watch party can be an uplifting balm to counter the negativity and frustration so many of us feel in today’s political climate.
To learn more, stream the event, or find or host a watch party, check this link: https://riseupsingout.com/
Happy Flag Day, America!