Thinking about Independence Day....

[Beemerguy53]

I'll be working on Monday (public safety is a round-the-clock endeavor), and on that day, as on every Independence Day, I will set aside a few minutes to read and reflect upon the Declaration of Independence.

It's a truly brilliant document, one of the strongest affirmations of liberty ever written. It was also truly revolutionary: Written at time when the world was largely ruled by kings, when the "self-evident" truth for many was that men were born to be ruled by others, it was shockingly bold. (I've always imagined King George reading the Declaration and laughing out loud at the impudence and arrogance of those who signed it.)

When my sons were little, I would read the Declaration to them every Independence Day, and explain to them that it's our nation's birth certificate, and we ought to know what it says.

I would remind them that July 4th isn't about fireworks, or barbecues, or parades...it's about courage, and determination, and a group of brave men willing to risk it all in the cause of liberty.

So...a little early...Happy Independence Day!

The Declaration of Independence | National Archives

 

[S42N8]

And thank you for keeping folks safe.

 

[venomballistics]

We need a bigger like button

 

[jeffrefrig]

"I would remind them that July 4th isn't about fireworks, or barbecues, or parades..."

Totally agree, same as Memorial Day and Veterans Day. I wish every American felt this way. The fireworks & parties are great for celebration as long as we all know what we're celebrating.
These holidays I always find myself looking at my dad's old Navy pictures in the So. Pacific.
Nice post, Beemerguy53

 

[Beemerguy53]

"I would remind them that July 4th isn't about fireworks, or barbecues, or parades..."

Totally agree, same as Memorial Day and Veterans Day. I wish every American felt this way. The fireworks & parties are great for celebration as long as we all know what we're celebrating.
These holidays I always find myself looking at my dad's old Navy pictures in the So. Pacific.
Nice post, Beemerguy53

Thank you. Regarding Memorial Day...I can't stand to hear people say "Happy Memorial Day" or "Enjoy the holiday!" or something cheery like that. Memorial Day is a very solemn occasion, a time when we all ought to reflect on the sacrifice of those who died in service to our country.

 

[Beemerguy53]

And thank you for keeping folks safe.

Thank you. Life is interesting: when I retired in 2004, after 30 years as a firefighter, I started what I thought was going to be my "retirement job"...but which has turned into a second public safety career. It's demanding, but low-risk, and it pays well...so I'm happy.

 

[bigwheelzip]

After a quarter of a millennium, perhaps we are too far removed from the event to appreciate the value, and tend to take it for granted.

It does my heart good though, to see that same gauntlet of freedom being picked up by the former East Bloc states, whose citizens know recent oppression first-hand, and wholeheartedly support their brethren in Ukraine.



Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[quikdraw67]

"I would remind them that July 4th isn't about fireworks, or barbecues, or parades..."

Totally agree, same as Memorial Day and Veterans Day. I wish every American felt this way. The fireworks & parties are great for celebration as long as we all know what we're celebrating.
These holidays I always find myself looking at my dad's old Navy pictures in the So. Pacific.
Nice post, Beemerguy53

Agreed. Remember those who fought/served (Veterans' Day), and those who were killed doing so (Memorial Day).

Independence Day should be remembered for what it actually represents, and not just an excuse to BBQ, drink beer, and light off fireworks.

 

[Beemerguy53]

After a quarter of a millennium, perhaps we are too far removed from the event to appreciate the value, and tend to take it for granted...

I think that's largely true...we take our liberty here for granted in many ways every day.

I also suspect that schools are not teaching much about the events surrounding and leading up the Declaration. When I was in school, back in the Dark Ages -- -- we learned all about the Stamp Act, and British Navy press gangs, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, etc. Now, I suspect high school graduates have gotten their diplomas without ever having heard of those things...

The dumbing-down of our country continues apace...

 

[Protocall_Design]

After a quarter of a millennium, perhaps we are too far removed from the event to appreciate the value, and tend to take it for granted.

It does my heart good though, to see that same gauntlet of freedom being picked up by the former East Bloc states, whose citizens know recent oppression first-hand, and wholeheartedly support their brethren in Ukraine.



Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

I believe the United States of America has set an example for the whole world to see what life could/should be like. That's why so many want to come here. But most of all, the ideas and hopes and dreams are catching on in other countries of the world that have known opression and censorship for centuries. I think this has made the world a better place to live in many cultures. It's an ongoing process, far from finished.

 

[Mule Packer]

...it's about courage, and determination, and a group of brave men willing to risk it all in the cause of liberty.

So-o-o true. I'm afraid many of us don't realize not only the sacrifice of these brave individuals, but also the odds which they faced. The war for independence was more divisive and violent than most people comprehend.

In Thomas Slaughter's book, Independence: The Tangled Roots of the American Revolution, he shares a few little known facts:

1.) At no time did more than 45 percent of colonists support the war, and at least a third of colonists fought for the British. Unlike the Civil War, which pitted regions against each other, the war of independence pitted neighbor against neighbor. Americans were not only rebelling against the mother country, they were fighting each other.

2.) A higher percentage of the population died in the American Revolution than in any other war fought by Americans. As a result, more people who lived through the American Revolution knew someone who died or lost someone in the war, than in any war we have fought since.​

3.) Many Americans switched allegiance and changed sides during the revolution depending on which side was winning. For example, at one inn along a well-traveled road in New Jersey—what is today Route 1—the innkeeper would send a servant out to look down the road every morning and throughout the day. If an army was spotted, the servant was charged with identifying the colors and raising the corresponding flag to keep soldiers from burning down the inn.​

As we ponder on the sacrifices, all I can say is, "God bless America."

 

[Golddollar]

Independence Day is making me think about my mother's 3GGrandfather who came to America in 1754 from Germany when he was 12 years old. He joined a Berks County, PA militia unit for the Revolutionary War. Now I'm sure that many of your ancestors did the same thing, but it really impresses me that he wasn't even born here, but there he was, fighting for America.

 

[Golddollar]

I also suspect that schools are not teaching much about the events surrounding and leading up the Declaration. When I was in school, back in the Dark Ages -- -- we learned all about the Stamp Act, and British Navy press gangs, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, etc. Now, I suspect high school graduates have gotten their diplomas without ever having heard of those things...

Take this story under consideration. I used to teach about voting rights in the Civics and Law Academy for high school students that was sponsored by the local bar association. Since I figured that true voting rights could only be established in an independent country, I took my lecture back to the Founding Fathers. I told the story of Cesar Rodney's ride from Delaware to Philadelphia in a storm to fill out the Delaware Delegation in the vote for independence. I tried to impress upon the students about how the Founding Fathers were men of substance who potentially signed their own death warrants by signing the Declaration of Independence, in which they pledged to each other their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor."

Alas, the year came when I didn't get notified about the Academy. When I checked with the person in charge of organizing the Academy, she told me the school system decided to take the program in a "different direction." I'd probably get dinged if I opined why they decided to do that. But hey, I tried.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Take this story under consideration. I used to teach about voting rights in the Civics and Law Academy for high school students that was sponsored by the local bar association. Since I figured that true voting rights could only be established in an independent country, I took my lecture back to the Founding Fathers. I told the story of Cesar Rodney's ride from Delaware to Philadelphia in a storm to fill out the Delaware Delegation in the vote for independence. I tried to impress upon the students about how the Founding Fathers were men of substance who potentially signed their own death warrants by signing the Declaration of Independence, in which they pledged to each other their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor."

Alas, the year came when I didn't get notified about the Academy. When I checked with the person in charge of organizing the Academy, she told me the school system decided to take the program in a "different direction." I'd probably get dinged if I opined why they decided to do that. But hey, I tried.

I understand exactly what you're talking about. There is a ridiculous fashion these days of judging historical events and men who lived hundreds of years ago by modern standards. It's as if we are supposed to bury our history because some of it is -- admittedly -- unsavory.

The Founders were men of their time...but many folks today can't seem to grasp that concept.