In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

[Linflas]

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 [George III] 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.

So it began 227 years ago with this document. Of all the Charters of Freedom this one is my favorite. It amazes me how far we have come since our forefathers signed their names to this document and sealed their fates to either be hanged for treason or found a new nation. I only hope that in the midst of the summer fun, family bar-b-ques, and fireworks that we Americans take a moment to reflect on the ideals expressed so eloquently in this document.


Charters of Freedom
Declaration of Independence (text)

 

[glenn1]

:beer: to the founding fathers. We are all indebted to you.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: glenn1
:beer: to the founding fathers. We are all indebted to you.

:beer: me too!

CkG

 

[Moonbeam]

I'm all in favor of the Declaration so long as no attempt is made to understand what it is and the implications. Those bastages were liberals who thought the government had a role in creating conditions for happiness. They were a bunch of Nannies. It's a damn good thing they're not around today.

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

Amazing how there's no mention of god in it. (creator != god)

 

[Moonbeam]

creator = God? How do you know?

 

[LunarRay]

"In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&.

Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620."

And before the above another interesting document

Magna Charta

 

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
creator = God? How do you know?

Semantics... just semantics... what's a name... some entity created the universe and all within... and all with out.. find the entity and solve the riddle..

The riddle is to do with the other side of the universe... what contains it, the universe...????

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: TheBoyBlunder
Amazing how there's no mention of god in it. (creator != god)

"Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" right there in the first sentence.

 

[sandorski]

Nature's God=Gaaia

 

[etech]

4TH OF JULY

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his Ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General, Cornwallis, had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free!

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: etech
4TH OF JULY

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his Ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General, Cornwallis, had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free!

Indeed. Hats off to the Founders.
:beer:

 

[Linflas]

Just to debunk one of Chuckman's revisionist assertions:

British colonists did not look favorably on this development. Their intense desire was to become rich through land speculation and endless westward expansion, the kind of activity, apart from marrying a rich widow, that made George Washington one of the wealthiest men in the colonies, one with rather a reputation for sharp business practices. It has been said that the shooting of a French officer (the French flatly called it murder) by an ambitious young George Washington, serving in the Virginia militia, marked the opening of the Seven Years War, sometimes called the first world war.

The Seven Years War was already taking place when George III took the throne. It naturally would spread to North America where both France and England laid claim to overlapping territory. It was due to this that Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia in 1754 sends newly commissioned Lieutenant Colonel George Washington and some companies of the Virginia Militia to western Virginia to deliver King George III's orders for the French to move from English territory. Of course the French refuse and Washington then engages the French force in what is later known as the Battle of Great Meadows. Even though he defeats the French in this battle he ends up having fired the first shots in the French and Indian war. In the end his small force was cutoff and he had to surrender to the French. Although his reputation was tarnished by the outcome of all this he later resurrects his reputation with his actions first with English General Braddock and later English General Forbes.

 

[Moonbeam]

Isn't that just great, Washington was probably a murderer. I didn't need to know that.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Isn't that just great, Washington was probably a murderer. I didn't need to know that.

As it was his very first military experience it was unwise for him to attack an enemy force in an area where he could be cut off from his base but that in no way makes him a murderer.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Isn't that just great, Washington was probably a murderer. I didn't need to know that.

As it was his very first military experience it was unwise for him to attack an enemy force in an area where he could be cut off from his base but that in no way makes him a murderer.

GuyJudo: "It has been said that the shooting of a French officer (the French flatly called it murder) by an ambitious young George Washington, serving in the Virginia militia, marked the opening of the Seven Years War, sometimes called the first world war."

I have come to expect great accuracy from The French with there recent wisdom on the Iraqi fiasco. I don't know o.

 

[sandorski]

Washington surrendered to the French!? That's a strange and yet amusing piece of trivia.

 

[HappyPuppy]

I just dropped in to add my flag.

To those of you who believe as I do, I salute you.

To those of you who do not belivee as I do, I salute you.

To be happy has nothing to do with where you live or your lot in life. It has everything to do with your state of mind.

A happy 4th to all.

 

[networkman]

:beer: "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin :beer:

As founding fore-fathers go, I'd sure have liked to have met him! From what I've read on my own and seen of the recent presentations on A&E Cable, he was quite a character.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
Isn't that just great, Washington was probably a murderer. I didn't need to know that.

As it was his very first military experience it was unwise for him to attack an enemy force in an area where he could be cut off from his base but that in no way makes him a murderer.

GuyJudo: "It has been said that the shooting of a French officer (the French flatly called it murder) by an ambitious young George Washington, serving in the Virginia militia, marked the opening of the Seven Years War, sometimes called the first world war."

I have come to expect great accuracy from The French with there recent wisdom on the Iraqi fiasco. I don't know o.

So you are blind to fact by choice then?

The Battle of Great Meadows

In 1754, Governor Dinwiddie sought but failed to secure assistance from other colonies in a proposed effort to expel the French. He then turned again to Washington, only 22 years old, who led his men westward into the disputed area.

On May 28, Washington?s forces surprised a group of French and Indians, inflicting heavy casualties and taking a number of captives. The colonial forces then hastily constructed the aptly named Fort Necessity in the Great Meadows not far from Fort Duquesne. On July 3, the French forces struck back. After a day-long battle ? the first of the French and Indian War ? Washington signed terms of surrender and returned with his defeated men to Virginia.

It is during this surprise attack that the French commander is killed. As I stated earlier the death was part of a military action and not murder.


Background of the French and Indian War

 

[shiner]

Jesus Moonbeam....take a day off.....it's the freaking 4th of July and yet you can't give your America bashing a rest. I for one am sick of it. For one damn day just shut your mouth and stop being such an contrary a-hole!

 

[Moonbeam]

It is during this surprise attack that the French commander is killed. As I stated earlier the death was part of a military action and not murder.
----------------------------
As the other post stated the French said it was murder. Something tells me somebody is wrong. But I don't know who. I do know that I don't trust you.
================
Jesus Moonbeam....take a day off.....it's the freaking 4th of July and yet you can't give your America bashing a rest. I for one am sick of it. For one damn day just shut your mouth and stop being such an contrary a-hole!
-----------------------------
Us real patriots want the real truth. Being a real patriot, not a superficial one like you, requires a tolerance for unpleasant pain, disappointment , and disillusionment. Nobody improves without first knowing their faults. Naturally when you hate yourself, self-revelation is a nasty job. Not for the faint of heart...

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
It is during this surprise attack that the French commander is killed. As I stated earlier the death was part of a military action and not murder.
----------------------------
As the other post stated the French said it was murder. Something tells me somebody is wrong. But I don't know who. I do know that I don't trust you.
================
Jesus Moonbeam....take a day off.....it's the freaking 4th of July and yet you can't give your America bashing a rest. I for one am sick of it. For one damn day just shut your mouth and stop being such an contrary a-hole!
-----------------------------
Us real patriots want the real truth. Being a real patriot, not a superficial one like you, requires a tolerance for unpleasant pain, disappointment , and disillusionment. Nobody improves without first knowing their faults. Naturally when you hate yourself, self-revelation is a nasty job. Not for the faint of heart...

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You want to talk about self hate? Then look at yourself. Of all the people on this forum you spew forth the most hatred. Oh sure it's disguised as some sort of philosophy, but in reality it is simple hatred. That hate has to come from somewhere and I would bet that it is redirected self hate. You aren't happy with yourself so you come here and attack others using what you think to be witty and deep banter.

 

[Haircut]

Happy fourth of July to all Americans, you've not done too bad for yourselves since you became independent from us :beer:

 

[LunarRay]

Originally posted by: Haircut
Happy fourth of July to all Americans, you've not done too bad for yourselves since you became independent from us :beer:

Well.. I'll be even happier when all folks are independent.... and free.. A US Citizen by virtue of birth... I am fortunate in many respects and for that I give thanks.... to those who are US Citizens by choice... you are what this land is all about more so than me..