4th of July

Carol Ann · Post by **Carol Ann** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:21 am

Enjoy the day and have a safe and happy holiday

SilverLady(SO) · Post by **SilverLady(SO)** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:47 am

Always remember what this Independence Day holiday signifies, and the sacrifices that all of those in our armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, Border Patrol, as well as those police officers, U.S. Marshalls, FBI and CIA) and all the innocent civilians (as a result of foreign and domestic terrorists) have made in the past and are making now and in the future to ensure, preserve and protect our freedom!!

Freedom is not free, and it is always worth the fight!

When the people fear the government . . . that is tyranny.

When the government fear the people . . . that is freedom!

We proudly fly our American flag every day.

- SL and Virginia,
Proud Patriots . . . and Pinheads we will never be!!

Leeza · Post by **Leeza** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 11:10 am

I opened my email this morning to Kate Smith introduces "God Bless America"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... C%E2%80%8F

and just wanted to pass it along.

Leeza

DeeDee · Post by **DeeDee** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:33 pm

Hi everyone, and a happy 4th to all!!!!! My flag is out, but unlike SL I don't fly it everyday (would get too expensive replacing them)!!! Our neighborhood is VERY much into the 4th, meaning mega-fireworks and parties. So tonight my SO and I will jump in the pool and watch this amazing display (some of the locals do better than the city)!!!!! Ok, that would be after our BBQ....BIG steaks tonight. But my poor dog hates fireworks, so he's on doggie downers right now

So, enjoy all!!!!!

Hugs
DeeDee

PS: SL, say hi to Virginia for me

Done! And she says hi, too!! - SL

Paula G · Post by **Paula G** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:43 pm

On the radio this evening I heard the comment that "We were the bad guys in that one" - no, I thought, we wern't the bad guys, just the losers

April Rose · Post by **April Rose** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:27 pm

It's true, Paula. History is written by the winners. I think it was our Winston Churchill that said that.

I live in eastern Massachusetts. Every day on my way to work I pass the site where Paul Revere was captured by the British Army on his famous midnight ride. He was actually one of dozens of dispatch riders that night, part of a sophisticated insurgent network. What they were yelling, as they went form farmhouse to tavern was not " the British are coming" It would have been something like "The Regulars are out!" We WERE British.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 3:10 am

In 1776 the British were distracted by the birth of the Industrial Revolution. So I guess we all won in the long run.

This period of history is VERY interesting.

Anthony Simon · Post by **Anthony Simon** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 9:28 am

And for a not entirely reverent view:

Chapter 44: The Boston Tea Party

One day when George III was insane he heard that the Americans never had any afternoon tea. This made him very obstinate and he invited them all to a compulsory tea-party at Boston; the Americans, however, started by pouring the tea into Boston Harbour until they were quite Independent, thus causing the United States. These were also partly caused by Dick Washington who defeated the English at Bunker's Hill ('with his little black mashie', as he told his father afterwards).

The War with the Americans was memorable as being the only war in which the English were ever defeated, and it was unfair because the Americans had the Allies on their side. In some ways the war was really a draw, since England remained top nation and had the Allies afterwards, while the Americans, in memory of George III's madness, still refuse to drink tea and go on pouring anything the English send them to drink into Boston Harbour.

After this the Americans made Wittington President and gave up speaking English and became U.S.A. and Columbia and 100% etc. This was a Good Thing in the end, as it was the cause of the British Empire, but it prevented America from having any more history.

1066 and All That

[According to its authors "[1066 and all that]..is the result of years of research in [English] golf-clubs, gun-rooms, green-rooms, etc]

SilverLady(SO) · Post by **SilverLady(SO)** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 9:39 am

What?!? And they say that education is America is lagging behind those in the UK and Western Europe . . . I think not!!!

- SL

Carolynn · Post by **Carolynn** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 10:55 am

A definitely irreverent look at the capture of Paul Revere

The light was clear, the British were landing. Paul set off to carry the warning to the selected people in danger of being caught by the British.

Into the night, he would ride into the yard of the homes, call until the lady of the house looked out the shutters, and yelled, "Is your husband at home?" Upon hearing the affirmitive, he would relay his message and ride on to the next house. Over and over he repeated this, until at length, at one house, the lady of the house peeked out and he yelled, "Is your husband at home?". This time the lady said "NO", so Paul swung down from his exhausted horse and said,

"Great, I'll be right up!".

Yep, thats the way it really was. My grandpappy done told me that it was true.

Anthony Simon · Post by **Anthony Simon** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:57 pm

Well, you know SL, national pride comes into it too. I mean, for you guys across the Atlantic, Independence Day is one of the great moments of your history, a triumph. For the UK, it's the first example of a colony seceding and us not being able to do a thing about it. A moment of impotence, defeat and humiliation - and the first of many. It's hard for us to look at that entirely straight, human nature being what it is.

At the time 1066 and all That (1930) was written most of that (The loss of Empire) had still to come, but they pretty accurately pin down the sort of knots people have to tie themselves in order to avoid confronting those issues.

But then I don't think the UK is only country where national pride trumps seeing straight....

Carolynn · Post by **Carolynn** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:49 pm

And then there was the war of 1812, supposedly started because of the British Navy taking skilled seamen off American vessels, and occasionally comming other acts of piracy. And then, one of the most celebrated and pivotal battle of that little war took place near the Old French Colony City of New Orleans, after the peace treaty had been signed, communications being more that a bit slow at that time in history. Andy Jackson handed the Brits their rears, but only with the aid of an adhoc army of irregular semi-outlaws and Native Americans. Jackson then showed hes gratitiude by f----ing over the Native Americans and taking their lands, and moving them to the fronteir of that became Oklahoma. But then, Jackson was always an opportunistic greedy backside wipe, like most politicians. His earlier treatment of the Creeks was just a prelude to his betrayal of the Choctaw and Chickasaw.

It amuses me to no end that the Choctaws and Chickasaws are using some of the money they're extracting from the greedy whites in their casinos to buy back the lands taken from them.