Independence Day 2010!

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racehorse
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Independence Day 2010!

Post by racehorse » 07-04-2010 12:12 AM

Wishing ALL Pirates A Very Happy And Wonderful Fourth of July as We Honor the United States of America on it's 234th Birthday! :)

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The Declaration

July 4, 2010

Last year on the Fourth of July a group of Americans of all ages crowded into a red barn in a Midwestern beach community. It was raining, so the hot dog grilling and the potluck dinner were moved from the scenic shore of Lake Michigan to the cramped, damp barn. People sat on benches and chairs, balancing paper plates stacked with potato salad, three-bean salad, chips, dogs and brownies.

On a small stage a man in khakis and a well-worn sweater began to recite the Declaration of Independence.

When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people ...

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 ...


He recited not just the parts you probably know. He did the whole thing. When he announced he was going to do this, the crowd groaned.

But hearing the Declaration is quite different from reading it. You probably last read it in high school. You probably have never heard, in its entirety, "The unanimous Declaration of the 13 united States of America". It's strong stuff.

Initially, the people listening to the man in the barn were restive. They wanted to be at the beach. But folks grew quiet and listened in respectful silence. Then they responded with cheers and fist pumps as he called off King George III's "long train of abuses and usurpations." There are upwards of two dozen listed in the Declaration. Depriving citizens of trial by jury. Taxing without consent of the people.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coast, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

At those words, people cheered loudly: A big, lusty, cheer for our ancestors.

The colonists methodically built a case for separation from the crown. They recounted in detail the lengths the colonies had gone to resolve this long-simmering dispute without breaking bonds with Great Britain. They submitted all the facts "to a candid world."

And, finally, they declared their independence, and their resolve.

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.

The words have astonishing power and eloquence. They stand the test of time. Credit the principal author, Thomas Jefferson.

The Second Continental Congress approved a resolution of independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. This put the world on notice of the colonies' intentions. Two days later, after modifications Jefferson called "depradations," the Congress approved the Declaration. Most of the members of the Congress got around to signing it on Aug. 2, 1776.

John Adams predicted in a July 3 letter to his wife, Abigail, that July 2 would be "celebrated by succeeding generations ... with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more." And so it is, though he was wrong about which date would be commemorated.

So, start the parades. Let the "illuminations" fly. Light the bonfires. And how about starting a new tradition? Find the text of the Declaration of Independence and read it aloud. It takes less than 10 minutes — though you might want to allow some extra time for the cheers.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opin ... 6997.story

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The Declaration of Independence
Last edited by racehorse on 07-04-2010 12:31 AM, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Psychicwolf » 07-04-2010 10:16 AM

I haven't celebrated this holiday for many years.
:(

First because of it's effect on animals with American's stupid need to "blow something up" in their own backyard. I will be down at the shelter volunteering in the "clean-up" of terrified, lost animals who tried to get away from the "celebration".

Sadly, I have come to believe something else, too. We have moved from a Republic to something else. The embedding of reporters worked well in Iraq because the reporters could be controlled. The same system is being implemented in the gulf. It is not about peoples safety. It is about the safety of the PTB.

Happy 4th.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/georgiann ... 34661.html
Working and reporting from the American Gulf Coast is starting to remind me of working in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where photos and recordings must be hidden on secreted flash drives at border crossings, and where interrogation by drunken border patrols certainly follows if one does not provide a proper "explanation" for visits to certain regions. In 2007 I was accused of being a "spy" and held by the secret police in Goma, DRC for having video of illicit "conservation" activities. Now the same sick feelings of fear, anger and helplessness is stalking my mind as I try to plan for the next round in south Louisiana. Never in my lifetime could I imagine that a foreign company could dictate my ability to move freely and openly in American territorial waters.

Already we have been challenged by the private security firm, Talon, on the oiled beaches of Grand Isle, and hassled by the Coast Guard and Louisiana Wildlife officials for not wearing flotation devices when it was not necessary. The law was on our side then, now the "law" is being used to limit free speech.


From Robert Rotberg's seminal essay on the morphology of failing states:
Weak States include an array of nation-states that may be inherently weak because of geographical, physical, or fundamental economic constraints; or are situationally weak because
of internal antagonisms, greed, or despotism. Weak states typically harbor ethnic, religious,
linguistic, or other tensions that may at some near point be transformed into all out conflict
between contending antagonisms. Their ability to provide adequate amounts of political goods is
diminished or diminishing. Physical infrastructural networks are deteriorated. Schools and
hospitals show signs of neglect. GDP per capita and similar indicators have fallen or are falling,
sometimes dramatically. Levels of venal corruption are high and escalating. The rule of law is
honored in the breach. Civil society is harassed. Despots rule.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/cia ... 2_nov6.pdf
Dance to heal the earth. Not just when you're dancing, but always. Live the dance, whenever you move, in all you do, dance to heal the earth.

SETIsLady
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Post by SETIsLady » 07-04-2010 12:39 PM

Happy 4th everyone !

Saharaka
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Post by Saharaka » 07-04-2010 01:49 PM

Happy 4th pirates! I am so proud to live in this wonderful country and grateful for those who have sacrificed to ensure our freedom.
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"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing plaid with stripes comes easy."

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Post by Linnea » 07-04-2010 03:25 PM

'Spirit of America' - Norman Rockwell

.

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Post by Bobbi Snow » 07-04-2010 04:43 PM

Happy 4th, everyone. Stay safe, and enjoy what freedoms we have left. And send good wishes to our military...
ImageIf you're still breathing, it's not too late!

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Live365
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Post by Live365 » 07-04-2010 08:05 PM

"To some, the idea of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is but a dream.

They're right.

It is the American Dream."

By some European author.


Happy Fourth, Pirates!
Did you ever stop to think, and then forget to start again?

SETIsLady
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Post by SETIsLady » 07-04-2010 08:21 PM

Here is Elvis telling like it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moUifEmOcbU

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Psychicwolf
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Post by Psychicwolf » 07-05-2010 11:01 AM

Thanks for posting that, SL.:)

I could tell some Elvis stories, but some are not for polite company.:D He was such a talented man, eaten up by personal demons, as well as a horrendous industry. So many never make it out alive and so young. Truly a treasure was Elvis.
Dance to heal the earth. Not just when you're dancing, but always. Live the dance, whenever you move, in all you do, dance to heal the earth.

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