Independence Day

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

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Comments

[Michele San Pietro]

231 years ago, a right country was born.

[defendusa]

Four score and seven years ago our Fathers brought forth on this continent a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

God Bless America!

[atadOFF]

Happy 4th to to one and all!

[CitSAR]

I add to the below: There is no worse human condition than standing by, watching on with no predisposition to help those who do not yet know how to help themselves. Conversely, there is no greater glory than that bestowed upon those who act in the benefit of others.

Thank you, United States Service men and women.

"That mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government."

[rgrmom82]

Let freedom ring!

Gee, 48 if my son gets killed by Iranian trained and supplied terrorists, it's america's fault because of an accident that happened 20 years ago?

[zogger]

The comment by warvet48 is completely out of line. Saying that "Iran owes America a few deaths and am glad to think they're helping to keep the sh%t stirred up in Iraq." is the thoughts of a very distrubed mind. He/she needs help.

God Bless America!

[NH Trooper]

God Bless America, Her military and Her people (except the idiot "warvet48").

[Tim]

Hey 48, This moment of free speach has been paid for by folks much, much better than you.

[The Fastest Squirrel]

Eleven score and eleven years ago, actually!

[Dean]

Have a great Independence Day folks!

[rick554]

"warvet48" absolutly the most disgusting post I've seen in quite a while. I hope you arent breathing American air. "warvet48" is a permanent ignore.
That being said Happy 4th to all. I always thought that the last sentence of The Declaration says it all.
God bless our TROOPS , their Families and our United States of America

[Michele San Pietro]

I totally agree with the fact that the comment of Warvet47 has nothing to do with the subject of this thread, beside being out of line he is also totally off base because, apart from the fact that a monstrous regime like the Iranian is the last one that can teach any lesson to anybody, that tragedy was caused by the pilots of the Iranian jet, who had gotten out of the Iranian airspace without being authorized to do so. Unfortunately, it is no surprise that such a thing happened, since Iran is a country mainly inhabited by sheer madmen.

[Michele San Pietro]

God bless America and incinerate its enemies.

[Rich Casebolt]

Can you lot for one moment consider what America's response would be if instead a Iranian warship shot down an American passenger jet off the coast of the US.

Can you for one moment consider the context surrounding this scenario ... Iran is a totalitarian power with nowhere near the checks-and-balances necessary to restrain unjustified aggression (sheesh ... they can't even restrain their rhetoric.)

In that light, a harsh response to such an incident could be justifiable.

The reverse, however, is not true ... America has exercised considerable restraint over the years, because it posesses checks-and-balances that prevent one man (or a few) from capriciously initiating aggression.

If nothing else, our string of over sixty-one years of possession of nuclear weapons without using them should tell you something about our restraint.

That is why the military's account of the Vincennes incident ... that it was an accident of misidentifcation, exacerbated by the flight path chosen by the plane ... is believable by reasonable people.

Those checks-and-balances were derived, by many of the same men who wrote what LW just quoted here, to implement the goals in that document.

Nations that implement similar courses of action have never threatened us, once that implementation is in place.

Unfortunately, too many in the world ... and not a few within our own borders ... simply do not (or will not) perceive such context when it comes to international conflicts.

They only equate Big with Bad ... without looking to how Bad can grow from almost nothing, when it is placed in the right kind of "garden" ...

... a garden where there is nothing present to check its growth.

Our founders had the wisdom to perceive the development cycle of Bad ... and took steps to make sure our nation was not fertile ground for Bad.

Much of the rest of the world, to this day, lacks that wisdom.

They need it ... and we need them to get it, if we are going to continue to live free and pursue happiness.

On this Independence Day, may those in the gardens of Bad begin to realize what it takes to be free ... and start pulling weeds.

[T. Shaw]

I have a home subscription to "The Wall Street Journal." I'm not sure what it costs. They automatically charge my credit card.

The June 30, 2007 Saturday edition was received as usual.

The "Pursuits" section has a page for books in a theme. Today, author David Gelernter lists five books raising "a cheer for America." One recommendation is Samuel Eliot Morison's, The Two Ocean War. Mr. Gelertner writes, " . . . the battle of Midway (June 4 - 7, 1942) where Japan's relentless advance was finally thrown back in confusion is justly renowned. Wave after wave of heroic American flyers were destroyed. Virtually the whole air-strength of the three U.S. carriers on the scene had been used up when a lone squadron of dive bombers finally turned the battle around. 'Remember the threescore young aviators who met flaming death that day,' Morison urges, 'in reversing the verdict of battle. Think of them, reader, every Fourth of June. They and their comrades who survived changed the whole course of the Pacific War.' Little enough to ask. (But too much, evidently, for our schools to teach.)"

Ms. Peggy Noonan in her "Declarations", that edition, quoted a patriotic poem she found among her deceased aunt's things:

"So it's home again
And home again,
America for me.

"My heart is turning
Home again,
And there I long to be.

"In the land of youth
And freedm,
Beyond the ocean bars.

"Where the air
Is full of sunlight,
And the flag is full of stars."

I cannot tell you how much my subscritpion to "The Journal" costs. I can tell you, it is worth every cent.

Happy Fourth of July!

Except for asshats like warvet: eat feces, die, and go to hell you useless pieces of detritis.

[arch]

warvet48 said:

"The shooting down of an Iran Air A300 Airbus on July 3, 1988 over the Persian Gulf by the USS Vincennes in what the U.S. military said was an accident. The missile cruiser misidentified the plane as an Iranian fighter jet because of a radar mistake, the military said at the time."

USN warships and Kuwaiti tankers had been previously attacked by Iranians in the Persian Gulf. An aircraft departed a civilian-military base with its transponder off and set a course for the American Guided Missile Cruiser USS Vincennes. Some of the 79 F-14 Iranian Air Force fighters are stationed at that airfield. The ship called the aircraft repeatedly and received no response. At a range of 11 nm, the Vincennes fired two missiles and downing the aircraft.

The US acknowledged that it had made a mistake, apologized for the tragic error and conducted an investigation.

Under the circumstances, what would you have done differently?

[Jim]

A week or so ago, it was made known by one of the Blackfive contributors that this message board was and is being used by anti-war types to deposit fake messages using real email addresses of pro-troops people. If you google-search "warvet48@earthlink.net" you find the name of Daniel J Meck; ALL of the internet postings of this man are PRO-TROOPS, apperently being a retired military man himself. Therefore I would not be surprised if this is a case of Name hijacking...so I would suggest laying easy on warvet48 until he has a chance to clarify the situation.

[Cro]

My motivator for the day.

[rgrmom82]

Rich, Loved the garden metaphor...the reaping is
at hand. What you plant, is what you reap.

Thank God America is the land of the FREE. Just wonder when the congress will recognize that freedom comes with a price.

[JihadGene]

Have a great time while celebrating Independence Day! Be sure and say a special prayer of thanks and safety for those away serving our great country, and to those who are in hospitals recovering! To the Military Families back home, God bless you! My best to you all and a big "I RUV YOU" to all involved with SOLDIERS ANGELS!!! Now get those American flags out!!! That is all.

[warvet48]

Hey everyone somebody is using my name and email just like they did rangermoms
The following post was not mine

Do you realise that another anniversary occurs around this time each year. What is that you ask? The shooting down of an Iran Air A300 Airbus on July 3, 1988 over the Persian Gulf by the USS Vincennes in what the U.S. military said was an accident. The missile cruiser misidentified the plane as an Iranian fighter jet because of a radar mistake, the military said at the time.

Matt I need your help. This is my first post on this writeup. I hate these trolls.

[Blackfive note: Deleted and banned, but he'll be back. Don't get upset about it - that just encourages him.]

[warvet48]

Some trolol has stolen my identity. Matt I need your help. I did not post the following post that is found earlier in this thread.
-------------------------------------------------
Comment below written by: warvet48
Do you realise that another anniversary occurs around this time each year. What is that you ask?
The shooting down of an Iran Air A300 Airbus on July 3, 1988 over the Persian Gulf by the USS Vincennes in what the U.S. military said was an accident. The missile cruiser misidentified the plane as an Iranian fighter jet because of a radar mistake, the military said at the time.

Can you lot for one moment consider what America's response would be if instead a Iranian warship shot down an American passenger jet off the coast of the US
-------------------------------------------------
This is probably the same asshole that stole rangermoms name and email, now mine. Anyone who has read my postings would know I don't talk down the USA. Oh yeah the left and MSM but not the troops or our great country. Matt, whoever it is is using my name and email as well, anyway to stop him/her?

[Rich Casebolt]

Jim -- good point. I thought I recognized the handle from past use.

I tried to "de-personalize" my last post with that in mind.

rgrmom ... I wish the Congresscritters would focus on standing behind Gardeners like your son, instead of working so hard to become ineffective political garden implements themselves ...

... i.e. hoes.

[warvet48]

Thanks Matt. Now to everyone out there (minus the A$$hole) Happy 4th!!! Especially to our troops providing us the freedom to celebrate this great day. I'm waiting to see when we hit the 20,000 mark on emails to the fighting 6th. If you haven't sent one already. SEND ONE, and if you have, then send another! Take care all.

[Rich Casebolt]

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

I just wish that ... instead of electing the candidates with the best marketing plans or most government "experience" (which is similar to the experience a thief gets from being in prison with other thieves) ...

... we'd find a way to lock out the institutionalized parties and career politicians, and elect Joe/Jane Average to our public offices instead, to effect the change described above.

I know ... given the indoctrination in foolishness my generation and younger has been subjected to ... that real change would take many election cycles.

However, the status quo isn't working, when it comes to getting what needs to be done, done.

Just a wish of mine, for this Independence Day.

[warvet48]

Jim Thanks for being resourceful and patient and checkin me out. I am who you say having retired in 1997, A veteran of the first Gulf War 1991 and 100% disabled because of it. I totally support our troops and those who support them. I have little room in my heart for those who would do or see harm come to them, whether by cutting of their funding, hurting their morale, spreading misinformation or lies. These trolls will pay someday, be nice to drop them in the sandbox and let them have a taste of the real world. Again, Thanks

[bthun]

To the most important item on my list today;

My sincere thanks and gratitude to all vets past and present. To our Founders, to those Statesmen (and women) of generations past who knew when the good of the nation was the most important issue on the list of priorities! To all the good people, citizens, patriots you never heard of whose conduct every day allows them to stand shoulder to shoulder, with head held high, among those mentioned above.

SALUTE!

Happy Fourth Ladies, Gentlemen, and especially all you serving in harms way. GOD bless.

========================================

"we'd find a way to lock out the institutionalized parties and career politicians"

Rich,

When their service is only to themselves and their financiers, I'm with you 100%, although I'm certain that I've never allowed that opinion to slip into a comment on a blog before =8^}.

[referman]

Happy Independence Day!A THANK YOU to all our soldiers in harms way and their families.Our hearts and prayers are with you all everyday.God Bless all our brave warriors in this fight against world terrorism,you all are doing an Outstanding job keeping these scumbags on the run and introducing them to those virgins!OOOrrraaahhhh!!! THANK YOU Semper Fi

[twolaneflash]

"Happy Birthday America

America celebrates 231 years of freedom today, for on July 4th 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed. Let us not forget the men whose blood made the stripes red. The United states Infantry celebrated its 232nd birthday last month on June 14th. Before there was freedom, there was fighting, and before there was peace, there was war. Remember the sacrificies of those before the 4th and of those long after it. Today we celebrate the birthday of the greatest nation on earth. Even on this alien ground far from my home. The pride overwhelmingly rivets through me as I look upon the colors I proudly wear on my shoulder. I know that I would lay down my life to protect them as so many have before me. I ask you my American brothers and sisters, let us remember the fallen.

NEVER FORGET"

This message sent today from somewhere outside Fallujah by my son, FastLaneFlash, mortar operator, carrier of the M136 AT4 recoilless rifle on long, hot walks in the valley, and a great American.

[kat-missouri]

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

These two sentences outline the entire basis of our nation. Men and women have and continue to die for these simple words. In these two sentences, volumes were spoken. That Man's natural condition is to be free. That no man can take it away because it was not given by man, but by a higher power who is unassailable in HIS position above man. That no clergy, scholar, noble nor royalty is required to ascertain this condition. That even the least educated and poorest man among us can understand the difference between liberty and tyranny.

That a man has the right to succeed or fail by his own fruits of labor. That no man has the right to arbitrarily decide this for him based on his position or his condition. That no man can arbitrarily take his life or property without just regard for the law. That the "divine right" of kings to rule did not exist, but was instead the right of every man.

In two sentences.

God Bless America and God bless all those who have and continue to stand on the line for freedom!

[Maggie45]

LW, thank you! Every time I read this I am awestruck and overcome with gratitude that I was blessed to be here in this greatest country on earth.

FastLane Flash, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! May God continue to hold you in the palm of His hand.

[Eric Jette]

B5 and friends,

Happy Fourth!

QSA 5

Regards,

EJ

[alexa kim]

Thank you LW, for posting this here. I was reading it last night at the National Archives online and it made me go quiet all over again. Really, a little like trying to picture the Universe. Overwhelming and awe-inspiring.

[Maggie]

Happy 4th, everyone!

[Rich Casebolt]

Now, a more appropriate place to post this ...

Here we go again ...

... Kate is yet another good citizen, whose good name has been hijacked by a troll ...

TROLL DROPPING REMOVED -- LW

... a cowardly troll who resorts to sock-puppetry because, deep in their soul, they know that their ideas, when presented honestly, will not stand up to fact, reason and history.

Such as these to this level of deception because they are desperate to smear this Administration, because they believe that doing so will turn America away from what they think this Administration represents ...

... a nation where men know both their own limitations and the potential of faith in something -- or Someone -- beyond themselves ...

... a nation where men know they can pursue happiness, and achieve a good portion of it, without the fear that someone who supposedly "knows better" will take their achievements away from them and misuse them ...

... a nation that both preserves the principles that have made it great, and demands that its people constantly re-evaluate how they as individuals apply those principles from a basis of absolute truth, and not wishful thinking or envy ...

... a nation where one's position is based upon merit instead of privelege or ideology ... merit that must be periodically refreshed with the application of sound principle, in order to maintain or advance one's position.

This is a nation, where these sock-puppets KNOW that they cannot remain as they are and expect to attain a measure of happiness, but are unwilling to change their thinking and actions to do so ... so, instead of doing what it takes to rise to a higher level of human endeavor, they try to bring others whose achievements make them look bad down to their level BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

This "dissent", at its core, isn't about Iraq, or even war.

It started well before March 2003, or even September 2001 ... its present expression started in November 2001, when those who believed it was their birthright to rule, because they were taught by the "right" teachers, thought that birthright was stolen from them.

But its roots go even farther back than that ...

It is about the preserving the soul of a great nation vs. Saving the Legacy of Woodstock Nation.

I often wonder if it will take the demise of my generation, to end the relativist foolishness that leads to sock-puppetry like this.

The irony is ... even when this Administration is replaced ... even if the replacement is something more to their liking ... the principles the sock-puppets fight against will still remain in effect, for they transcend Administrations and even generations.

And they can't do a damn thing to change that ... the most they can do is convince others to join them in more fouling of the national nest by acting contrary to those principles.

Not this birdie ...

I won't be fooled again ...

[Rich Casebolt]

Excuse me ... the present expression of "dissent" above started in November 2000, not 2001.

PIMF.

[Eric Jette]

"On this Independence Day, may those in the gardens of Bad begin to realize what it takes to be free ... and start pulling weeds."
-Rich Casebolt

Rich,

You are one heck of a wordsmith....

Just for that beautiful thought, I think I'll launch a bottle rocket in your honor....(chuckle). Happy fourth to you and your's!

QTX

Best,

EJ

[rgrmom82]

That's why I love America. Surely someone will come forth and provide aid to the refugees of the ME conflicts. The women and the children and the sick who did nothing wrong and only wished to remove themselves from the bombing and the hatred and the soul-stealing actions of those who's constant goal is to control and kill.

There are refugees with NOTHING, willing to walk away from years of effort to escape evil. Some of them can't get far enough away to be free from the mullahs who put their needs for cold steel and greed above the safety of their families. Who will help them? Clearly, it matters not which "sect" they were formerly affiliated with. They have escaped, and every step they take is hindered by evil. Nobody is helping them. They can't go back. They won't go back. Where is the justice for the sick and the poor wise enough to escape? All they want to do is to be allowed to worship freely, live and love in safety and to earn a living. Jihadists with Iranian backing can cause a great deal of harm. Where is the humanitarian aid to these folks? How can anyone rise above the horror of a war they never caused
or wanted to be in without freedom?

People in America have forgotten how lucky they are and how to give without all the political strings attached.