Declaration of Independence

    Two hundred and twenty nine years ago a document was signed by fifty six men, and with the stroke of a pen the course of human history was fundamentally altered. That single document was the fontspring of all our rights and privileges, but have you ever looked into the fate of the founding fathers?

     Nine of the signers died from wounds suffered in the Revolutionary War. Five signers were captured by the British and charged as traitors - facing cruel torture before being executed. Another two lost their sons in the Revolutionary War. The privations didn’t end there. Another eight signers had their homes looted, their possessions scattered to the four winds. Carter Braxton was a man of means when he signed the Declaration – but he died with little more then the clothing on his back. Thomas McKeam faced the same fate, losing all his wealth hiding his family from the British. Others weren’t even able to protect their families. Hart, Norris, and Livingston lost everything they held dear in the world… their home, their land, and their cherished families.

     Our Founding Fathers sacrificed everything they owned and risked everything they loved for the freedoms we now enjoy. Freedoms that have led to a nation without parallel in human history. But now we face another threat, one compounded by self serving groups bent on forcing their views on the body politic. The Declaration of Independence was signed by many of the leading minds of the day – but now the self appointed intelligentsia view patriotism as a low and empty exercise for the poor uneducated masses. Those same high minded “world citizens” are quick to say the United States is imperialistic, materialistic, and the genesis of every evil that plagues the modern world. I would probably be a little more inclined to listen to their mealy mouthed speeches if they had spent a single day here in the cradle of civilization.

     Freedom is many things, but it is never banal. It is never cheap. It is never a birthright. It is a sacred trust, a blazing torch passed from one generation to the next and safeguarded by the combined efforts of an entire nation. I have seen some of Founding Fathers steely eyed resilience in my soldiers, and it gives me hope. As long as there are brave men and women manning the ramparts I know the flickering light of democracy will not easily burn out.

Comments

[fyodorgaribaldi]

A great post, but I do have a problem with your description of the Declaration of Independence as "the fontspring of all our rights and privileges". All rights, privileges, facial tics, every everything comes from God. Even the deists among the founders admitted that. Their truly revolutionary political innovation was the idea that government did not have the right or the power to parcel out these God given rights as the ruling elites saw fit. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Today we are afflicted with a politcal class of rulers that makes 18th century British aristocrats look like saints. Of course, that is our fault, not George Washington's. Stay safe and get home safely.

[fyodorgaribaldi]

A great post, but I do have a problem with your description of the Declaration of Independence as "the fontspring of all our rights and privileges". All rights, privileges, facial tics, every everything comes from God. Even the deists among the founders admitted that. Their truly revolutionary political innovation was the idea that government did not have the right or the power to parcel out these God given rights as the ruling elites saw fit. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Today we are afflicted with a politcal class of rulers that makes 18th century British aristocrats look like saints. Of course, that is our fault, not George Washington's. Stay safe and get home safely.

[TJ Jackson]

Your analysis and comments were extremely cogent and beautifully written. Its a shame most Americans take freedom for granted and believe the Tooth Fairy gives it out like a cheap prize at a county fair. I hope you and your comrades in arms realize that the overwhelming majority of Americans stand with them and realize but for your sacrifice that we would see the jihaddies here in the US rather than in Iraq. Never lose faith in the American people and their resolve. The flag burners, the hand wringers and the trolls have no real influence here except on the Hill and media. We pray for the safe return of all our troops.

[TJ Jackson]

Your analysis and comments were extremely cogent and beautifully written. Its a shame most Americans take freedom for granted and believe the Tooth Fairy gives it out like a cheap prize at a county fair. I hope you and your comrades in arms realize that the overwhelming majority of Americans stand with them and realize but for your sacrifice that we would see the jihaddies here in the US rather than in Iraq. Never lose faith in the American people and their resolve. The flag burners, the hand wringers and the trolls have no real influence here except on the Hill and media. We pray for the safe return of all our troops.

[JHB]

In an effort to find unfiltered information from Iraq, I stumbled upon your blog some time ago and am an avid reader. There is a deep misconception that those of us who proudly call ourselves liberals are not patriotic or stand apart from the American mainstream. Your posts have brought tears to my eyes on several occaisions. And just down my block (in a very Liberal neighborhood) is a family whose son just finished a tour in Iraq. We proudly flew our flags, the children made signs and offered hugs and handshakes to the family on his safe return. The..."self serving groups bent on forcing their views on the body politic...." exist with equal vigor at both extreme ends of the political spectrum. Their visibility and extremism poisons the well of public discourse and leaves us vulnerable to sweeping generalizations about broad swaths of our fellow citizens. I want you all to come home safely to your families and offer the wisdom of your experience to our conversations. I want your sacrifice to be honored by the best leadership this country can offer. I want all of you to have everything you need to do the job in Iraq. And, I want you to know that there are millions of citizens in America who are both patriots and determinedly liberal. May we meet in the great middle of American patriotism and continue to build a strong and compassionate country. Stay alert, stay safe and thank you for your service. You all are in my prayers. (BTW...you are one hell of a writer.) JHB.

[Gerard Bout]

Hi T6 Congratulation on your and A's first year anniversary. Our love for you has never being so painfully clear and by adding a daughter to our lives it has multiplied our life and love for you both. We wish you our continued support and love. We enjoy our freedom through the sacrifices of men and women like your self. May the good Lord bless and keep you in the palm of his hand and bless you with our first grand child. Dad

[Chevy Rose]

Thank You and your fellow soldiers for giving us one more Independence Day. God bless America.

[Trauma Chick]

T6 you have written with such eloquence. Thank you. Today I am reminded again of the new paramedics I have loaned to ya'll in the sand box. I pray I get them back safely, they are really good medics and I haven't had a chance to work with them on my own mean streets. I know they are as always out there MAKING ME PROUD. T6 I hope your English and History teachers have been enjoying your fine writing. They should be proud.

[Trauma Chick]

T6 you have written with such eloquence. Thank you. Today I am reminded again of the new paramedics I have loaned to ya'll in the sand box. I pray I get them back safely, they are really good medics and I haven't had a chance to work with them on my own mean streets. I know they are as always out there MAKING ME PROUD. T6 I hope your English and History teachers have been enjoying your fine writing. They should be proud.

[Curt]

T6; Thank you for the words. I was discussing this with my boss a few hours ago in general details. I'll send this post her way, to make sure others get the gravity of what was paid for this Nation's birth. Like someone said...thank your troops today. I thank you, and know all your people deserve the equal affirmation from me for doing the hard work of liberty.

[YankeePaPa]

..First I would like to commend you all for your sacrifice and courage..and your thoughts for the day have a sobering meaning..there are those that are willing to take up the fight for freedom and independence..others believe it is beneath their dignity to get their hands soiled by it..Only the Brave survive..Cowards run and hide..not even willing to come out and speak their views..but rather do it from behind a desk..or news paper article..or magazine....Regardless..I hope your days are going as well as can be..Semper Fi.. ..Time, INC... Oil But No Gasoline, Rivers But No Water A year after winning back sovereignty, Iraqis have few reasons to smile Posted Sunday, Jul. 03, 2005 In Baghdad, you learn to savor small pleasures. When the weather turned unexpectedly cool one recent evening after a long sequence of 113°-plus days, people emptied out of their houses, braving the ever present threat of violence in order to enjoy a brief reprieve from the heat. As I stood in the front yard of TIME's Baghdad bureau, feeling the welcome breeze against my face, I asked my Iraqi colleague Harith if a sharp drop in temperature was common for the month of June. He shook his head. "This is a gift from our God," he said. "He knows many of us have no electricity, so he gives us a cool breeze so we can sleep at night." These days, that's one of the few mercies Iraqis can hope to get. When President Bush addressed Americans last week on the state of the war in Iraq, he said that in the year since the U.S. returned sovereignty to an Iraqi government, "we have made significant progress." But here in Iraq, healthy indicators are hard to come by. Everyday life in much of the country has deteriorated in measurable ways. According to the Brookings Institution, Iraq's power system generated less electricity in June 2005 than in June 2004; crude-oil production is down, as are revenues from oil exports; the mile-long lines at gas stations are back after subsiding a few months ago. Many Baghdad neighborhoods have had little or no water supply for several weeks. It's small wonder that Harith was so grateful for the brief temperature drop: his neighborhood routinely gets less than four hours of electricity a day. While few Iraqi residents would probably say their living conditions have improved over the past year, they do have a new object of ire: Iraqis now blame their woes as much on the government elected in January as on the Americans. That's encouraging news, a sign that Iraqis realize they can't depend on the U.S. to solve all their problems. But it's also a reminder of how far Iraq has to go. In his speech last week, Bush said that "the best way to complete the mission is to help Iraqis build a free nation that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself." A year after the handover of sovereignty, none of those conditions are close to being met. The government has been promising an improved power supply but has failed to deliver. It fingers insurgents for blowing up water pipelines but seems unable to repair the damage. It claims success in operations against the rebels, but their ability to strike in the heart of Baghdad is undiminished. The mood of high optimism that followed the Jan. 30 election has long since disappeared. "We have oil," says Hamid, an Iraqi who is TIME's security coordinator, "but no gasoline. We have rivers but no water. We have guns but no security." It's all taking a toll on Iraq's citizens. While most maintain a remarkable resilience in the face of the suffering, there is also a growing sense of bitterness. Hamid, for instance, used to be a wedding singer and hopes one day to become a kindergarten music teacher; it has been months since we last heard him sing. Iraqis who work for foreign companies, especially American ones, are in double jeopardy--branded as traitors and infidels by terrorist groups and identified as lucrative targets by kidnapping gangs. A year ago, we would have accompanied this article with a picture of our Baghdad staff members, and we would have told you their real names. Now we can do neither of those things for fear of endangering them and their families. Perhaps the most telling indicator of Iraqis' state of mind is what they watch on TV. A year ago, when TIME's Iraqi staff members gathered around the office TV set for a break, they tended to watch Lebanese music videos and Egyptian sitcoms. These days, they almost always watch the news, usually on one of the many Arabic channels that offer endless images of death and desperation in Iraq. So grim is the mood that even escapist entertainment provides no relief. "The news is our life," says Rashid, one of my Iraqi co-workers. "And our life is the news." The sobering reality for the Bush Administration is that it's becoming harder to persuade Iraqis that either one is going to get much better.

[NYgirl]

T6, this is the best Independence Day post I've read. We forget the courage of the the signers of the Declaration. All to often, we forget, or are not taught, about the sacrifices made by our Founding Fathers. Thanks for reminding us that our independence came at a price too. Happy Fourth of July & a big thanks to you & your soldiers for making our freedom possible.

[Lexie]

Please thank all your troops on our family's behalf. Let them know we're thinking of them not only today, but also on many other days. The Smith Family from Texas

[membrain]

A very well written and informative post. I am proud of you and your soldiers and wish you well on your mission. I pray you succeed. I mourn your losses. Godspeed Thundersix.

[Derek]

Well said man no doubt. This 4th I am thankful for everything our fighting men and women are doing for us. So today I raise my beer( Sorry dude I'd mail you guys some if I could)and Salute You and Old Glory for what you stand for. On a side note I found this quote on someone else site and thought that is so true if people would stop and think for one minute about the bigger picture : People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men/women stand ready to do violence on their behalf.

[VCS]

Thanks for this reminder and your service!

[devildog6771]

Beautifully and truthfully said!