Every year on July 4, our nation’s Independence Day, I write an essay about the state of our nation. Every year, there is something to be incensed about. The killing of black men and women in the streets by law enforcement. The separation of children from their parents to be housed in cages. The denial of adequate healthcare for millions of Americans. It is a sobering exercise that reminds me that our independence did not come for free, and it never will. It is important.

In past years, I have managed to find small solace in the intent of our government, laid out by the founders. I had faith in the balance of powers, in elected officials to work in the interests of their constituents, in the person in the highest office to have some semblance of honor for the role with which they are charged. The system is far from perfect, but it was alive and in motion. This year, there is none of this.

Today, in the face of a government that has embraced power over populace, wealth over health, fear over honor, and the disenfranchisement of millions of Americans, what we have left is our voices.

There are lessons to be learned for the moment we are in. Resistance is possible and crucial. Fascism is slippery. Here, to remind us of our power, is actor John Lithgow reading historian Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: 20 Lessons for the 20th Century. Have a safe weekend.