June 6, 2440 12:00 PM– Leila Grantham, Ozark Free Tribune
In the past 24 hours, the internet has reacted with equal parts awe, anxiety, and aggression. Critics labeled the event ‘cosplay,’ ‘LARP,’ and ‘a sovereignty breach.’ But such claims reveal less about Missouri’s non-existent bonfire and more about coastal contempt for regional legitimacy. This wasn’t fealty by force—it was recognition by those who had nothing left to lose. We’ve seen this before. In reconstruction, in revolution, and in rebirth. It never starts with permission. It starts with the myth of fire.
