Sunday, July 4, 2010

Independence Day -- Citizens, not subjects.


Just in time for Independence Day, we have -- ironically enough -- this story from the British Broadcasting Company.

Scientists reveal mystery word on Declaration of Independence

Scientists at the United States Library of Congress have revealed the moment when Thomas Jefferson altered the Declaration of Independence to set the course of American history.

The discovery was made public to mark the Fourth of July, when the US celebrates Independence Day.

The blur of ink on the 1776 document has long puzzled historians.

Thomas Jefferson, the architect of the Declaration of Independence had obviously changed his mind about something, but until now nobody realised the significance of his thinking.

By examining the draft and the different wave lengths of light - a process known as hyper-spectral imaging - scientists discovered his original word was, subjects.

But in a flash of inspiration while the ink was still wet he wiped it, and wrote citizens instead.

That was the moment according to historians that redefined the American colonists.


"Citizens," not "subjects." Today we are faced with another developing tyranny that finds citizens -- especially armed citizens -- inconvenient to its appetites for power, property and liberty. Don't believe me? Read the text of the Declaration below and tell me it doesn't sound like the Twenty-First Century. At some point, we will be forced into the Founders' solution to the same problems. Remember this hallowed day, sanctified by the blood and sacrifice of free men, and get ready for the next. For it is coming.

It is coming.

And this time it will be our blood and our sacrifice.

Mike
III

Declaration of Independence

(Adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776)

The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776

14 comments:

Home on the Range said...

"our blood and sacrifice".

America's at war and most Americans are at the mall. The rest of us can just get ready and spread the word.

Anonymous said...

May God grant us the same courage to do what is right.

Anonymous said...

You know, in 1983 when I signed up, I had this fantasy about "being that minuteman, that bastion of freedom".

By 1984, I realized this truly was an Orwellian nightmare.

By 2004 it had became a goddamn greek tragedy.

I really don't think we need a revolution, however, there need to be an accounting.

A true accounting of the facts. If there ever was that, there would be accountability by dawn.

Look at what Washington DC did to Duke Cunningham. Man, he was right up there with Basilone, Patton, Etc. Shoulder to shoulder with the legends.

About 2 years to the jailhouse.

He admitted what he did, accepted the fate and moved on like a man.

Ted Kennedy let a girl drown, never saw a set of handcuffs let alone a jail cell, all the while in bed with some of the most crooked and murderous bastards that ever walked.

Man. It's just that bad. Wanna know who is president? Right now.
George Soros. Vice President? William Ayres.

A tyrant and a wannabe dictator.

That ambush we read about the other day, I have seen that op before, straight out of "School of the America's".

Face it. the enemy isn't in the Middle East. I almost bought into 9/11. Then for some reason, a little voice in the back of my head told me to study my pre WW2 stuff.

The parallels are just too many. All throughout history.

You know what? Knowing what I know today, I am ashamed. I am ashamed I didn't march over Ruby Ridge. I am ashamed that I didn't march over Waco. Even if I was only one, even if I was the only one.

You know what else? I don't have a problem with a gut like Cunningham copping a few million as long as he keeps the country in his best interest. He risked a flaming death at 1000 mph for about squat for a few years in the service of corrupt politicians. At the same time that Teddy was pissing away his birthright Presidency.

The tide has changed, however, as it was in 1775, the greedy don't give up easily. Big Shot's will try and hold it back, fools try and wish it away.

Something big is cooking, it's all by design and it's all out in the open. Troop movements, Asset deployment, distraction. It's all in play.

In the end, I don't believe this will be American vs American. This is not a civil war. This is American vs Globalist, Communist, Collectivist by force.

Standing by.

Gary S. said...

Amen to that Brigid and Taylor H! God is the only one who is going to be able to give us the strength AND the courage to stand against the progressive machine. And it will get ugly. We must always remember; the vast majority of the colonists did NOT take part in the Revolution. Only 3% did their part, and the 'mall walkers' of that time benefited from the sacrifice of the determined souls who fought and bled for freedom. Even if they didn't deserve it, they still benefited.

rexxhead said...

Oddly, many of the "causes which impelled them to their separation" are now claimed as powers of our own federal government.

Plus ca change, plus le meme chose.


III

Anonymous said...

My local rag does a little piece called "The faith of the founding fathers" and "Revolutionary War letter serves as reminder to God, country and service".

So I ask the readers if they even know what they are celebrating and why and linked to various writings of our founders found at the Avalon Project. That's it.

The first response:

Well??? Hell.. Shame on us for celebrating our Nations independence. I'm pretty sure that this is what our Founding Fathers had in mind for us to do. Who cares (other than you, apparently) how we as Americans celebrate the birthday of our Country??

A lot of American Revolutionaries did die in the Revolutionary War, approx 8000+ from actual combat and roughly 16000+ from disease, most as POW's (8000-11000 deaths) due to sitting in prison camps or ships in the water off of New York.

So by saying that we aren't proud of our Brothers and Sisters for their sacrifice and knowing what it takes to condone such acts of bravery and wanting change, is a slap in the face to me and every other American.. Is acting self-righteous turn you on? Just because you can cut and paste, provide links and try to make us feel bad for being proud Americans, doesn't mean that you are some authority on how we should think and feel.. you are acting just like Fox News


Doesn't even had a clue. But would have had at least a semblance of one if he had gone to the links, which he didn't. And just gets worse from there from other posters ... with the rare misinformed exception.

The fact is, people just don't give a sh*t AND are to lazy to even read.

By the way, we are not celebrating the death of the continental soldiers or militiamen. Heck, we even had our very own resident atheist pipe up.

And then people wonder why we are where we are ... and don't even have a clue.

Scott J said...

I cannot find the will to celebrate this year.

I read this from Denninger: http://market-ticker.denninger.net/archives/2469-The-Clock-Is-Running-Out.html

I watch Gov. Riley's anti-gambling crusade.

I listen as vast majority of the members of my tiny Church present on a Wed. night go on and on about how grand the blue laws were that kept stores closed on Sunday.

I consider the above and start to think freedom and independence are dead.

j said...

One thing really leapt out at me -

"For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states.."

and brought back the misty visions of Ruby Ridge and Lon Whore-a-hootchie, and Waco and the SS troops.....

Anonymous said...

To "Anon" @ 8:10,
I'm on board with you all the way. My thoughts exactly. The powers that be seem to know what is coming and are either allowing us to walk into a giant ambush, OR, they are really that stupid and naive that nothing can topple them.
Someone mentioned last week on another blog that this could turn into a 7 way war. Religious, racial,economic,political,gang,gov't,etc and we need to bear in mind that there may be no clear cut battle line. Neighbor against neighbor for all the dumbest of reasons. And probably set up by the gov't and media for exactly that reason. Those of you still addicted to the boob tube and Faux News(CNN,MSNBC,etc,etc) need to pull your head out of your ass and start thinking and making decisions on your own. Stop letting them control your mind and find the truth in other ways. You are only allowing yourself to be set up by the dept of propaganda as a puppet of the state.
Remember, you are a CITIZEN, not a subject of the media.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all!
Semper Fi,0321

Vlad Tepes said...

As to the foul murderer Horiuchi...

Why is he still wasting oxygen?

Anonymous said...

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

Well ... here we are again.

If the Founders were alive today, this generation would scoff at them, tar and feather them, call them enemy combatants, waterboard them, shove them in some hellhole dungeon ... and secretly hang them.

Anonymous said...

It might be worth noting that, unlike the ORIGINAL Declaration of Independence which sought to replace British rule, any new revolution or civil war would instead most likely be to reinstate the Constitution of the United States as Supreme Law of the land.

Anonymous said...

For an excellent update on the original, go here:

http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/2010/06/27/

B Woodman
III-per

vic said...

easy to answer Israel is 2 faced and thought the could say crap about Muslims - kill t nnocentbystanders and still get aide from Turkey? FINALLY Turkeyhas woken up and smeeled th Turkish coffee. Asfor the Kurds =even whe the're in medical school teyarestill barbarians! No civil Kurd I hve yrt to meet.