Happy 4th of July!

[Tom Storer]

With a special nod to our English friends!

[Gentle Giant]

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 harass 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 benefit 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 British 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.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

[Dr Dave]

I'm sorry, I see Canada as a much greater threat in terms of culture-infiltration. From Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to the late Peter Jennings, Canadians have had an almost diabolical ability to infiltrate American culture.

[Gary Sisco]

GG -- That was before.

[GoodSpeak]

To properly celebrate Independence Day, I think you should all watch this very thoughtful historical reminder of how we became America. Serve your country: Be a good American and follow the link in Tom's first post [unless you're some granola eating commie-pinko Liberal or something].

I hope all of you have put your American flags out today....I wouldn't want to think of you as anything less than Patriotic.




Great link, Tom

[Monte Smith]

Everyday is July 4 when you are a superpatriot like me. I wipe my ass with sparklers. Here's the local parade. I suspect that lead Boy Scout of communist sympathies.

[cookie]

Happy Independence Day, everyone! Remember: freedom is messy and dangerous. Don't settle for anything less.

We are in D.C. hanging with our friends and neighbors. No downtown fireworks for us this year. My celebration of America was a trip to Camden Yards to see an Orioles game. I had seen Camden Yards on tv and thought it looked like a nice park. I'm glad we checked out a game. We also visited a great sports museum. I totally loved it. The Orioles lost, but whatever. I enjoyed the game: the ballpark food, singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame in the 7th inning stretch, just diggin' on passing time in a beautiful park. We kept our attention on the scoreboard, just as excited that Boston was pounding New York to the tune of 7-0! I wore my Bosox cap (and took some good- natured ribbing for it!). Baseball, baby. American like the blues. Now I'm just chillin' with my buddy and Louis Armstrong is layin' down that good ol' good stuff! Happy 4th o' July, all!

[Gary Sisco]

I had a surprise visit from my brothers. Hadn't expected it at all. It was a good surprise, though. It is one of the few days of the year when you can expect to run into the longtimers in this area.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I'll put this on the right thread this time


I've spent the last few hours working on some new Challenge level choreography, teaching modules for a class in session, replacing the old material I composed 20 years ago. Wrote some good ones today, very elegant if I say so myself. In an hour or so I'll take a run.

Last night I did a Fourth party on the third, in Windsor, which does fireworks on the 3rd. Luxurious property of a caterer/ event planner I work with from time to time who was putting on a party for the family's friends and neighbors.

Tonight we're hosting a bar-b-que for teenagers in our back yard, heaven protect us.

And tomorrow I'm calling for a wedding at Emandal http://emandal.com/, for a young couple requesting Patsy Cline, Emmylous Harris, Steve Earle, Bob Wills, and Ray Charles for their dinner music before the vows and the dancing. The matriarch of the place does a beautiful ceremony, tells them she can't marry them, they can only marry each other.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Everyday is July 4 when you are a superpatriot like me. I wipe my ass with sparklers. Here's the local parade. I suspect that lead Boy Scout of communist sympathies.

Go wave a flag, Monte.


As an Eagle Scout myself, I find your sanctimony insulting at best and ignorant at the very least.

[GoodSpeak]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Tonight we're hosting a bar-b-que for teenagers in our back yard, heaven protect us.

You're a braver man than I, SDQ Steve.

[kedoane]

I didn't have to work today. However, I have been getting over a nasty cold and an ear infection. I'll be home tonight. I may go out front and see the firework display that the city puts on (where they put it on is about a mile away from my house) later on. The challenge is to keep the animals sane.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by GoodSpeak

As an Eagle Scout myself, I find your sanctimony insulting at best and ignorant at the very least.

I aim for the best then, Goody.

I had an interesting 4th of July dinner where we celebrated the release of those FARC-held hostages, Betancourt et al. There was a woman attending who was part of the intelligence group that provided the Columbians with their signal intelligence and satellite imagery to track the FARC and get into their communications network. She's been drinking champagne since Wednesday morning as have patriotic men and women in discreet office complexes thru out the Northern Virginia/Langley area.

[Tom Storer]

Tell me, Monte, since you have des entrées in the intelligence community, what do you make of the French claims that the rescue operation was a Franco-Colombian affair? Betancourt went to France and lavishly complimented Sarko, saying without the French it could not have happened. It's true Sarko was all about rescuing Betancourt, it was practically a campaign promise, but I'm skeptical.

P.S. "Thru out"? Tsk, tsk. You might just as well have tossed in a couple of letters and spelled it correctly.

[Vince Kargatis]

Disappointed in this year's embassy party at the ambassador's residence - last year, he splurged and they had 30+ American wine selections, many quite fine. This year - TWO. Just a Barefoot charonnay and cab. Decent cheapies, but man, what a difference in approach. Perhaps he wanted to reflect American's economic doldrums, or the bartenders thought last year's servicing was too complicated, dunno. But I was bummed. And what lawn party with 3000 people doesn't have coffee?

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Yesterday we went to a restaurant in Brattleboro called Fireworks (wood fired brick oven). After we ate we headed to the fireworks for real.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

Tell me, Monte, since you have des entrées in the intelligence community, what do you make of the French claims that the rescue operation was a Franco-Colombian affair? Betancourt went to France and lavishly complimented Sarko, saying without the French it could not have happened. It's true Sarko was all about rescuing Betancourt, it was practically a campaign promise, but I'm skeptical.

P.S. "Thru out"? Tsk, tsk. You might just as well have tossed in a couple of letters and spelled it correctly.

I don't know of any French involvement on the operations level, though there could have been. The French have been pushing very hard in a diplomatic and publicity campaign to keep Betancourt's plight front and center. I was told that this rescue was a Columbian initiative, Columbian planned, Columbian trained, Columbian carried out--and it was a masterstroke. The US involvement was technical. Eyes in the sky and signal intelligence that enabled the Columbian forces to track FARC in deep jungle and get into their communications channels to arrange a bogus movement of the hostages. Hurrah! Evidently there had been earlier, abandoned attempts to get the hostages out by more shooty-uppy means and there was soul-searching about whether enough was being done. But you can't argue with the results of last week. You can, however, argue about the many, many more non-French and non-Americans still held by FARC. But FARC is getting run down. They have suffered a string of mighty defeats recently. Surely it is time for them to come in from the cold, at which point they can pursue their politics peacably and probably get elected sooner or later. Look at the rest of South America.

[clinthopson]

One lesson we've learned from the Froggies over the last half-century is how to lose wars.

[Gary Sisco]

It's pretty hard to win a war that has no articulatable political goal and so no measure even of what victory might be.

Afghanistan is the one to watch, though you'd not know it by relative press coverage.