Since Independence Day 2009 comes on a Saturday, I have decided to merge a holiday post and the weekly musical, Another Blast. Music is all well and good. But in the end, music is only a tool or a means to communicate an emotional appeal.
This is the one day when we "the people" can stop, reflect, and (hopefully) honor the birth of this great nation. But as reflection and honor goes, I am sure not all Americans really care about the importance of such a thing. To them, it may mean a big barbecue/party with fireworks or even worse, it may not mean anything at all.
As for the Sunsett household, we see it differently. Therefore, it is our profound hope that our activities of the day will be helpful to noble causes larger than ourselves, causes that will guarantee many more.
Loving one's country, despite deep reservations resulting from the direction the current leadership is taking, is important. Despite the fact I think this is the case this year, I still love my country and always will. That does not mean I cannot grieve for it. And at the same time, it does not preclude me from making what I feel are vital statements, in order to preserve it.
It is for this reason today that it is our plan to attend the local tea party. It is our hope that many others will do so anywhere and everywhere, possible. I believe the long term viability and prosperity of this nation will depend on the next few years and it is imperative, to help facilitate an awakening to the common sense principles this nation was founded on.
You cannot possibly communicate all of this in one song/video. But if it were possible, one of the integral tools I'd use could/would easily be this song:
Like I have said many times, I do not agree with the current course our government is taking. I see too many similarities with other failed courses we have seen taken in the past. The short period of time known as the Carter years is not alive in the minds of most people born after 1969, and no amount of persuasive speaking would have stopped this demographic from buying into the programs of the present company. I have said it before and I will say it again, every generation deserves a Jimmy Carter to wake them up to the consequences of unchecked and unbalanced liberalism., with weak foreign policy and horrendous domestic agendas that hurt the average citizen more than they help.
Once we woke up from our lethargy and saw fit to treat the malaise that has overtaken us, out self esteem began to reappear, almost instantly. It wouldn;t be easy, but we did undo much of the damage done by carter and his band of southern hilljacks, who masqueraded as intellectuals capable of leading a nation.
Today, we have nothing more than a Chicago gangster mentality running both the Congress and the White House. But if we look to the future, we can/will see that a greater hope lies beyond the false hopes communicated by this bunch, who are causing the present damage. Then we will once again be able to sing the words of this song, with joy and hope:
Enjoy the music and enjoy this day. And above all, please be careful, do not drive if you have been drinking.
ADDENDUM: For an outstanding Independence Day narrative, visit Leslie at Blunt Politics or Mustang at Social Sense. Both of them did an outstanding job, it is well worth the ten minutes or so it takes to watch it. (Do it now. Don't be the only one NOT to watch it or we will all laugh at you.)
10 comments:
This posting sertainly gave my patriotic juices a jumpstart.
Thank you, and Happy Independence Day!
We are going to try to attend the local version here as well.
Thank you for the link, Sunsett! You are a swell guy, despite what Mustang keeps saying about you.
Anything Mustang ever said about Sunset that one might construe as derisive in tone or intent were words concocted by others for the express purpose of driving wedges. A thorough investigation reveals that these subversive interests exist as wholly owned subsidiaries inside the state of Indiana. Because of their potential threat to the nation’s security, we have notified the Department of Homeland Security by registered letter. Further unfounded accusations will result in a lawsuit, alleging violations of the wedging bastards act.
Anne Howe
Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe
Attorneys at Law, PA
Sunsett, is there a better choice for America the Beautiful? It was great listening to him sing it again.
Have a Happy 4th
Hope you had a very productive 4th LA!!!!!
It's people like you that still give me hope that all is not lost! :-)
Very, very nice video. The Ray Charles version is my favorite.
Also liked Charlie Daniels.
Thanks. I hope you had a great 4th of July.
well, one of the first optimistic Fourth posts I've seen! Thanks, LA.
I hope we're not too far gone...I fear Americans are more 'gimme gimme' than they were after Carter.
I sure do hope you're right...that gave me a lift.
I hope you had a wonderful Fourth. (and yes, Mustang and Leslie did a fantastic job on that video, that is FOR SURE)
And I love the music..thanks.
Hi LAS !
While searching online for information about July 4th (for a French niece attending Mme and M Amerloque’s celebration lunch), Amerloque ran across this … might be familiar to some, but worth a reread …
/// When you celebrate the 4th of July, it's worth pausing for a moment to ask: 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. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. 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 and straight, 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." They gave you and me a free and independent America. Some of us take these liberties so much for granted. We shouldn't. If you and I don't care about them and take care of them, they could vanish. 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! ///
http://tinyurl.com/lbr23u
Best,
L’Amerloque
Thanks to all who have responded. I hope all of you had a great Fourth.
Amerloque, you always have a way of coming up with gems like this. Thank you sir, for posting it.
Anne Howe, you are a viper but I am a mongoose, so vamoose.
Post a Comment