Hi TOC,
I dont think people are trying to gang up on you. In fact, Im pretty sure we would rather have you among us. The thing is, I think you are miss-interpreting our intentions and the meanings behind them.
You saw us celebrating this day as a celebration of alleged atrocities (Im not going into whether they happened or not or to what degree or how or who, you guys know that, I have no knowledge of the issue and it is off-topic to the thread).
But that is not what we are doing. We are celebrating national pride. We did issue a 4th of July free chip now that you mention it. And by doing so we werent condoning or supporting polemic issues such as Guantanamo (and again Im not going into whether it happened or not or to what degree or who, or if it was justified, you guys know that, I have no knowledge of these issues).
We did it because Americans, just like Chinese, and citizens of virtually all countries, have a right to feel proud of being themselves and of their national strengths. Virtually every nation has wonderful things about it. So why not celebrate each nations day?
And yes, every nation has negative aspects also, some more than others. I don't know which have more problems than others, as I haven't traveled much... and even if I did I doubt I would be wise enough to be able to make such a judgment over such a huge generality. But people also have defects some more than others does that mean we cant celebrate our b-days?