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Thread: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

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    Default 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    (snip)"Every Fourth of July we celebrate American independence – but why, and what does it mean?

    The political consequence of the American Revolution was the liberation of the thirteen colonies from British rule. The Continental Congress declared "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."

    It was a major defeat for the world’s greatest empire, Great Britain. But the Americans did not revolt over light and transient causes.

    The Americans rebelled for freedom from their motherland because they had believed that their liberties had been seriously undermined by the British government.

    The government had levied taxes on them without their consent – on some items, as high as a couple percent.

    The government had searched and seized their property on the basis of unreasonably broad warrants called "Writs of Assistance."

    The government was elevating the military above the civil law.

    The government was forcing the American people to finance its global empire.

    The government was sending forth bureaucrats to regulate and tax the American people.

    Do you see a trend here?

    The British government had acted despotically and tyrannically, expanding its power further into the lives of the colonists, who had been used to living in a condition of benign neglect for decades. During and after the French and Indian War, the British government became much more interested in the financial dealings of the American people, raised taxes, and compelled the colonists to house and support the troops in their communities. "(snip)

    (snip)"But it is staggering the degree to which the U.S. government has now replicated and even been more rapacious than the British empire, as far as American liberties are concerned.

    In recent years, with the war on terror and the war on drugs, we have seen a steady erosion of civil liberties. The Patriot Act essentially brought back Writs of Assistance. Indefinite detentions and military commissions resemble the Crown’s Star Chambers that had been vanquished long before 1776.

    The degree to which economic liberty has been destroyed in this country is beyond description. We have completely lost our way. The tax rates that average Americans suffer are ten times as high as the tax burden under Britain. Even Britain’s targeted excise taxes on tea that sparked the Boston Tea Party were low compared to today’s taxes on alcohol, cigarettes, and other items.

    The U.S. government intrudes into our financial lives in every conceivable way. Every industry is regulated by thousands of bureaucrats and millions of pages of federal regulations.


    We have a welfare state only slightly less socialistic than that of most other Western democracies. We have the largest budget, the largest government program – social security – the largest military and the largest prison system on the planet.

    And now we are facing a welfare-warfare state crisis that boggles the mind. The Obama administration has continued and built upon the foreign interventionism of Bush, expanding the war in Afghanistan and into Pakistan. On civil liberties, he has solidified most of the worst legal positions and policies of the Bush administration.

    Meanwhile, in the economy, Obama is waging another war on the private sector. Every week there is something ranging from ridiculous to downright despotic – tobacco bans, national healthcare plans, the cap-and-trade power grab. In the name of the environment, he is shrewdly imposing one of the highest tax increases ever, claiming new broad powers over our lives, shoveling billions to connected industry and creating a phony "market" in carbon emissions that will surely benefit a very few at the expense of all of us. On healthcare, he is poised to force the uninsured to buy health insurance, or else be fined a thousand dollars, and begin the construction of a command-control health care system with its philosophical underpinnings lying somewhere between Mussolini and Karl Marx. This abominable program will be invasive in countless ways, giving politicians and bureaucrats and others a peak into our medical lives while usurping control over some of the most intimate decisions a human being can make.

    In terms of the political meaning of the Declaration, we have come a long way. Our current government is far more tyrannical toward the American people than Britain’s was before the Revolution.

    Independence from Britain did not guarantee the American states would be free forever, of course. And from the beginning, American politicians began reversing some of the victories of the Revolution. Taxes and tariffs and Constitutional violations got worse. The principle of secession and political self-determination was violently defeated in the Civil War. The entire 20th century presented a nearly undisturbed growth of the leviathan in Washington, DC. The U.S. soon became a world empire, as Britain was."(snip)

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Taxation without representation.
    Some my argue they don't have representation but that is their choice.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    We are facing a set back in our liberties right now but I was stirred by this.

    http://videos.komando.com/2009/07/04/

    A number of the readers are libs but I still liked it.

    FBR
    Once again I have embraced my addiction and have put off the moral dilemma to another day.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Quote Originally Posted by FBR View Post
    We are facing a set back in our liberties right now but I was stirred by this.
    Get your muskets.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Taxation without representation
    Many would argue that in today's economy, the call should be 'representation without taxation' ... i.e. the 40+% of Americans who don't actually have to pay income tax, but who get to heavily influence how tax money collected from others will be spent to their benefit !

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Yep. Happy 4th...

    -E
    hilarious signature

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    It wasn't all about money...was it?

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    It was not all red white and blue....

    From the wikipedia...

    The term Tory or Loyalist was used in the American Revolution to describe those who remained loyal to the British Crown...During the revolution, particularly after the Declaration of Independence in 1776 this use was extended to cover anyone who remained loyal to the British Crown. At the beginning of the war, it was estimated that as much as 40% of the American population were Tories. Those Loyalists who settled in Canada, Nova Scotia, or the Bahamas after the American Revolution are known as United Empire Loyalists.

    The revolutionary era began in 1763, when the French military threat to British North American colonies ended. [French and Indian War] Adopting the policy that the colonies should pay an increased proportion of the costs associated with keeping them in the Empire, Britain imposed a series of taxes followed by other laws intended to demonstrate British authority that proved extremely unpopular. Because the colonies lacked elected representation in the governing British Parliament many colonists considered the laws to be illegitimate and a violation of their rights as Englishmen. Additionally, British mercantilist policies benefiting the home country resulted in trade restrictions, which limited the growth of the American economy and artificially constrained colonial merchants' earning potential. In 1772, Patriot groups began to create committees of correspondence, which would lead to their own Provincial Congress in most of the colonies. In the course of two years, the Provincial Congresses or their equivalents rejected the Parliament and effectively replaced the British ruling apparatus in the former colonies, culminating in 1774 with the unifying First Continental Congress.

    In response to Patriot protests in Boston over Parliament's attempts to assert authority, the British sent combat troops. Consequently, the colonies mobilized their militias, and fighting broke out in 1775. First ostensibly loyal to King George III, Congress' repeated pleas for royal intervention with Parliament on their behalf only resulted in the states being declared "in rebellion", and Congress traitors. In 1776, representatives from each of the original thirteen independent states voted unanimously to adopt a Declaration of Independence, which now rejected the British monarchy in addition to its Parliament. The Declaration established the United States, which was originally governed as a loose confederation through a representative government selected by state legislatures (Second Continental Congress).

    [Arguably, the outcome of the French and Indian War could have had more impact than the Revolutionary War.]

    Both New France and New England wanted to expand their territories with respect to fur trading and other pursuits that matched their economic interests. Using trading posts and forts, both the British and the French claimed the vast territory between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, known as the Ohio Country. English claims resulted from royal grants which had no definite western boundaries. The French claims resulted from LaSalle's claim of the Mississippi River basin for France—its drainage area includes the Ohio River Valley. In order to secure these claims, both European powers took advantage of Native American factions to protect their territories and to keep the other from growing too strong.

    The English colonists also feared papal influence in North America, as New France was administered by French governors and Roman Catholic hierarchy, and missionaries...For the predominantly Protestant British settlers, French control over North America could have represented a threat to their religious and other freedoms provided by English law. Likewise, the French feared the anti-Catholicism prevalent among English colonists. In this period, Catholicism was still enduring persecution under English law.

    The French and Indian War was the last of four major colonial wars between the British, the French, and their Native American allies.[citation needed] Unlike the previous three wars, the French and Indian War began on North American soil and then spread to Europe in 1756, where Britain and France continued fighting the Seven Years' War. The war in North America was largely over in 1760, while the war in Europe continued until 1763.
    Last edited by threlayer; 07-06-2009 at 01:31 PM.
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Quote Originally Posted by hockeybobby View Post
    It wasn't all about money...was it?
    According to some posters here, EVERYTHING is about money. Or by rights ought to be.
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    "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."

    What happened to these brave men with foresight?

    Here's what is making the internet rounds.....

    "Each had more to lose from revolution than he had to gain by it. John Hancock, one of the richest men in America, already had a price of 500 pounds on his head. He signed in enormous letters so "that his Majesty could now read his name without glasses and could now double the reward." Ben Franklin wryly noted: "Indeed we must all hang together, otherwise we shall most assuredly hang separately." Fat Benjamin Harrison of Virginia told tiny Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts: "With me it will all be over in a minute, but you, you will be dancing on air an hour after I am gone."

    These men knew what they risked. The penalty for treason was death by hanging. And remember: a great British fleet was already at anchor in New York Harbor."

    The Price They Paid:
    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 in the revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the revolutionary war.

    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 McKean of Delaware 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, soldiers, or both, looted the properties of Ellery of Rhode Island, Clymer of Pennsylvania, Hall of Georgia, Walton of Georgia, Gwinnett of Georgia, Heyward of South Carolina, Ruttledge of South Carolina, and Middleton of South Carolina.

    At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., of Virginia, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

    Francis Lewis of New York had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

    John Hart of New Jersey was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his grist mill 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. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Lewis Morris of New York and Philip Livingston of New York suffered similar fates.

    Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were among prominent Americans well known in England. Yet both signed enthusiastically knowing they would be hanged if caught and even if they escaped, Jefferson was risking Monticello and Franklin his wealth and world prestige if independence was not secured.

    Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged:

    "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Many of you are somewhat surprised at the names not there: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry. All were elsewhere.

    But Patrick Henry of Virginia was caught and hanged by the British as a traitor. The other two survived of course anfd went on to make more history.

    ---------------------

    But let me ask you this: How many leaders in any of the three branches of government would make that kind of sacrifice now?

    Our military in the field are doing that everyday, as they have since 1776.

    Now, who are your heroes?
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Quote Originally Posted by Earl_the_Pearl View Post
    Get your muskets.

    I must be close to ovulating. Cause that statue is lookin' damn hot.

    That's all I have to contribute.
    Quote Originally Posted by Vamp View Post
    As Katherine Hepburn put it so eloquently " Nature is what we were put here to rise above"

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Quote Originally Posted by Melonie View Post
    Many would argue that in today's economy, the call should be 'representation without taxation' ... i.e. the 40+% of Americans who don't actually have to pay income tax, but who get to heavily influence how tax money collected from others will be spent to their benefit !
    Almost all, maybe even all Americans pay taxes of one form or another.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Quote Originally Posted by Elvia View Post
    I must be close to ovulating. Cause that statue is lookin' damn hot.

    That's all I have to contribute.
    Uhhh, you'll notice that it is the soldier's musket that is pointed upward in front of his coat. You can start cooling down now.
    I loved going to strip clubs; I actually made some friends there. Now things are different for the clubs and for me. As a result I am not as happy.

    Customers are not entitled to grope, disrespect, or rob strippers. This is their job, not their hobby, and they all need income. Clubs are not just some erotic show for guys to view while drinking.

    NOTE: anything I post here, outside of a direct quote, is my opinion only, which I am entitled to. Take it for what you estimate it is worth.

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    ^^^ LOL!

    Actually, I've always just had a weird thing for historical garb. *shrugs* Whattayagonnado.
    Quote Originally Posted by Vamp View Post
    As Katherine Hepburn put it so eloquently " Nature is what we were put here to rise above"

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    Default Re: 4th of July - remembering why Americans originally declared independence !

    Quote Originally Posted by threlayer View Post
    Uhhh, you'll notice that it is the soldier's musket that is pointed upward in front of his coat. You can start cooling down now.
    This is my rifle this is my gun; one is for shooting one is for fun.

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