We just passed July 4th, what most people the world over consider American Independence Day. (That’s independence from the British Crown, for those currently in public school.)
Some historical evidence suggests that the measure was actually adopted on July 2, 1776. When in Philadelphia in 2002 (as the nurse on my son’s class trip), we all learned that the revised text was printed and distributed to the new States for reading in their respective Legislatures. The official signing by the Continental Congress was then done on August 2, 1776.
Most people my age know that the line in the sand was crossed by the British on April 19, 1775, when General Gage’s troops marched to Lexington to confiscate canon, arms, powder and shot from the rebels. As I recall, that didn’t work out as planned. A smidge of advance notice gave the Colonists time to bury and hide the so-called contraband and prepare to repel said troops. I’m saddened to think what would happen now if Governor Baker’s minions tried to confiscate arms directly. It would probably be like the scene in “Stripes” when our plucky band is caught at the Czech border. They hand over their M-16s and are taken prisoner.
Anyway, as many people know, I’m in NH because of the Free State Project (Boo! Scum! Filth!). Some people believe that all Porcupines are of like mind when it comes to the tolerable amount of State control over their lives. Similar to what some believe about all Rs or Ds, all blacks or whites, all men or all women: they all believe the same things. Are you detecting a theme here?
Of course, a rational person knows that people have their own opinions. So, I do not care to be placed in a box because of, well, anything. I like to believe that I can have any thoughts that I wish to have and that I can freely express those thoughts. I also believe that I can absorb information from people who have opinions that differ from my own.
Well, if you have watched so-called reporting from the Lame Stream Media, you know that only the Opinion of the Hour may be expressed. Failure to toe the line may result in metaphorical banishment to Siberia (or Cleveland).
What saddens me most is not the rave reviews that Socialism/Marxism/Communism/Mess-with-others-livesism gets. It’s that these same people who demand compliance and fealty from other less-Woke people have no understanding of history before, say, last Tuesday.
That Stalin had disfavored people erased from photographs and other documents and erased from life. Among the current favorite “I win the argument” epithets, besides racist, are either “NAZI” or “fascist”. For deaths of his own citizens, Stalin made ol’ Adolph look like an amateur. Yet no one calls anyone a Stalinist as an insult. (He did have a nicer mustache.)
These brave protesters (the real ones) seem to no be interested in any facts regarding police abuse of power. Any point that they are trying to make gets undercut when their statements are viewed after looking at the statistics.
I wish that there was a practical way to separate the rioters, looters, arsonists, and such from the protesters as those actions also turn people off from their messages.
There are no useful words for the Progressives that want to topple statues of people no matter what the people stood for or against. That goes for people demanding renaming universities, colleges, streets, towns, sports team mascots, food products, and so on.
Too few people realize that, were these sorts of protests to occur in many other countries would earn the participants fines, shunning, beatings, arrests, and death.
By signing the Declaration, the 56 members of Congress put their necks in nooses. Fortunately, with some help, the Continental Army won and a new country was born.
This is the freest country in the history of the world. Do we have some faults? Damn tootin’ we do. We are a collection of people and only G-d is perfect. I wonder if the tear-it-down group has noticed the amazing success of CHAZ/CHOP/whatever it’s called this week. It might be healthier to isolate specific solvable problems and work together for solutions.
Be well.
