Safeguard spirit of ’76
Even before our nation had won the war fought to gain our freedom from Great Britain, Americans began celebrating the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1777, just a year after the Declaration was signed, Rhode Islanders fired 13 cannons to mark the occasion. A year later, with the outcome of the Revolutionary War still in doubt, Gen. George Washington ordered cannons fired throughout the Continental Army - and had a double ration of rum handed out to the troops.
Since then, Americans have, unofficially and under government sanction as a holiday, felt that it was important to celebrate Independence Day.
But what is it - other than a day off work, fireworks, cookouts and perhaps parades - that makes July Fourth special?
On July 4, 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies knew they were doing more than merely breaking away from one country in order to create a new nation. The very wording of the Declaration of Independence makes that clear.
Above all, the Declaration of Independence made it clear that our nation was intended to rest on the foundation that, "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."
Many of the Founders knew even as they were signing their names to the Declaration that our nation was not, in the beginning, living up to that creed. Generations would pass and oceans of blood would be spilled before the clause "all men are created equal" was the official policy of the nation.
We as a nation continue to strive for what the Founders pledged we would - liberty for all. And with all our flaws, ours remains a government that, in many ways, offers a larger measure of freedom than any other on earth.
The Founders knew that gaining independence was, in a way, the easy part. Retaining it in a country where basic principles of liberty and justice for all were safeguarded would be more difficult, they knew. That was confirmed while most of them were alive. We are reminded of it frequently. Often, our basic principles of government clash with demands that we "adapt" to cope with changing times.
Safeguarding the "spirit of '76" demands that we remain vigilant - and that is one reason for Independence Day. It is a reminder of what we have - and what we have to lose.
We Americans have reason to celebrate the journey we began more than two centuries ago. And, on Independence Day, which is Saturday, we pause to rededicate ourselves to the ideals of July 4, 1776.
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TiredOfTax
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07-04-09 4:51 PM
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Hey this is a very good question there Strat, you see the US military gets paid at war or at peace so when the "war" costs are calculated the entire price is reflected not simply the added war cost but even the everyday costs that occur anyway. Then there are the anti war people that inflate even those costs so it looks much worse than it is. How much less would it have cost us if we just sit here and wait for the radical Muslims to attack us here? It just has to be done, they hate us and will not stop until all infidels (non-Muslims) are wiped from the face of the earth. I am sorry but I would rather go to them than wait for another cowardly attack on defenseless civilians. The media has tried their best to show the world a dark and ugly side of this entire story and they did a very successful job at it. Now it is time to get these facts ironed out and corrected so that the world can see us as the leaders that are leading and not the aggressors that are slaughtering.
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stratford
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07-04-09 3:03 PM
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how come the "budget hawk" REPUBLICANS never said jack when bush borrowed and wasted trillions?
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TiredOfTax
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07-04-09 11:20 AM
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The Peter G. Peterson Foundation, established by a former commerce secretary and investment banker, argues that the $11.4 trillion debt figures does not take into account roughly $45 trillion in unlisted liabilities and unfunded retirement and health care commitments. That would put the nation's full obligations at $56 trillion, or roughly $184,000 per American, according to this calculation.
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TiredOfTax
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07-04-09 10:19 AM
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Hey Arch, how do you roll over on the lake issue, one socialist program and then vehemently oppose (rightly so) all of these others? You are a very difficult poster to understand. And Strat, it is good to see you putting your words together better, now we have just got to change them into something correct.
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Discobulous
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07-03-09 9:53 PM
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If the housing industry is toast and Wall Street is butter, than spread some butter on the toast and you have a Bernie Madoff sandwich.
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stratford
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07-03-09 9:35 PM
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Bush made everyone dependent on the government by bankrupting the county. This is not even close to over. The housing industry is toast. All the states are bankrupt. All the banks are bankrupt... the auto industry is bankrupt. Total deregulation did not work, it ruined everything. GO OBAMA!! He is the smartest president to ever live!!!
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Patriot1
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07-03-09 9:22 PM
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Architect, I tend to agree with your thinking. In my seven decades, I have never before so apprehensive about the future of our republic.
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TheArchitect
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07-03-09 8:27 PM
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After 233 years, 2009 will likely be the final Independence Day since by next year President Obama and company will have made the entire county dependent upon the federal government. Could have the founding fathers ever thought of such a time when the government controls private enterprise, education, and health care? The founding fathers would have fought this more than the British. It will be interesting to see what day is selected for the new Dependence Day holiday.
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Patriot1
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07-03-09 12:16 PM
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Electorate, take heed -- we are endowed by our CREATOR with certain inalienable rights -- NOT by GOVERNMENT! This is the problem that we are beginning to face strongly, now as never before. Vote smartly in the upcoming '10 and '12 elections.
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