July 4,1776-2007

[Bil]

Happy Fourth of July to you all! Amid all the fireworks and parades,picnics and fun,we should all stop and remember all of the people that made this possible.The Founding Fathers of this country were signing their own death warrants when they signed the Declaration of Independance.The war was far from won,if it went badly,they all could have been hung,their property confiscated,and their families turned out into the street,destitute.Butthese men signed anyway.They all stood up for what they believed in,for the principles they felt were true.They risked all for the common good.These weren't just workers off the street with nothing to loose.These were men of substance and fortune,with lots at risk.Most could have lived comfortably with the status quo.But they stood up for everyone. Lets remember this sacrifice,and honor it by remaining true to their original principles,and resist the perversion of them that our government has become over the years.We have so little to loose when we speak up,yet most are content to let things go without comment.We hesitate to sign petitions or write letters,because we don't want to rock the boat.At those times,it is good to compare what we risk with what was risked for us.It took a lot to gain our freedom,let's not let it go quietly.Thank you. ---bil

[762x51]

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, 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."

They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot of what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't just fight the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted...we shouldn't.

So, take a couple of minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Reference: http://www.webedelic.com/church/signers.htm

[propos]

Happy 4th guys. On this day, my thoughts turn to the struggle that our ancestors endured to give us this wonderful country. A country and nation that never had existed before in all of recorded history. And may never exist again if we lose it. One created by extraordinary men who envisioned a nation where all men are created equal. Where one could pursue their interests without interference. That they could pursue life, liberty, and happiness as it pleased them.
As Ben Franklin said. We have been given a Republic. Let's hope we can keep it.
God bless America.

[TOM R]

thanks to all our sevicemen and women,
i did 2 parades with the jeep

[drooling idiot]

thank you, i did 2 parades with the jeep this 4th.

your welcome tom
we appreciate the sacrifice you made too , doing 2 parades in one day.

[TOM R]

your welcome tom
we appreciate the sacrifice you made too , doing 2 parades in one day.

smartass i meant thanks to all our servicemen and women