School board member in CA calls for July 4th boycott after abortion rights overturned

A school board member from California is urging others to boycott Independence Day in the wake of abortion rights being overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Anamarie Avila Farias, a member of the Contra Costa County Board of Education, posted an image Tuesday, June 28 with bold letters spelling “BOYCOTT 4TH OF JULY.”

“I haven’t celebrated 4th of July since 2016 and I don’t think it’s a holiday to celebrate,” Avila Farias wrote. “What do you think?”

Commenters had mixed responses to her question, with some agreeing with the idea while others questioned Avila Farias’ reasoning.

”Yes! Yes! Yes! Wear green or pink do not wear red white or blue,” one commenter posted.

“Why? The holiday celebrates declaring independence from Britain’s tyrant King George III. You wish we were still subjects of Britain?” another person asked.

Avila Farias responded to that commenter, stating she is “not feeling particularly patriotic” in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“[L]ast Friday women’s reproductive rights were taken away!” she said. “We are not in a place of progress or celebration when human rights are being taken away.”

Avila Farias did not respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on June 30.

In response to her proposition to boycott the holiday, one user went so far as to offer to pay for Avila Farias to leave the country.

“IF you don’t like it please leave. If your not going to be part of the fix shut up and go,” they wrote.

Others were more supportive of the idea, though.

“I join you in this boycott,” one person commented, adding that “recent events indicate this country is headed back” to white patriarchy of the past.

Avila Farias’ proposal, which has been echoed by many others across social media in the past several days, comes at a time when fewer Americans are reporting feeling proud to be American. In a Gallup poll released June 29, 65% of survey respondents said they were “very proud” or “extremely proud” to be an American. The number is a stark drop from 2013, when 85% of Americans surveyed reported being ”very proud” or “extremely proud”

“In recent years, all party groups have become less inclined to say they are proud of their country, which may reflect deepening political divisions and party gridlock in Washington, as well as national challenges regarding race relations, COVID-19 policies and inflation,” Gallup reports.

Contra Costa County is about 40 miles east of San Francisco.

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