Men of Conscience

Subject: Men of Conscience
From: Vixen
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 11:57 AM

D'Cats--

A friend emailed this to me, and at the risk of posting something inflammatory, I thought I'd put it here for comment. I learned something from it, and it was a thought-provoking read. I do not know the author, nor can I vouch for its accuracy. (does this make it "folk history"?)

56 men signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

5 were captured by the British, tortured, and killed. 12 had their homes ransacked and burned. 2 lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army. 1 had two sons captured by the British. 9 fought and died of wounds or hardships of war.

24 were lawyers and jurists 11 were merchants 9 were farmers (what about the other 2, I wonder?)

A list of individual signers' fates follows the above summary. Their lives can be an inspiration or a warning, depending on your perspective, I suppose.

V

Subject: RE: Men of Conscience
From: Fadac
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 12:20 PM

Yes a compleat list was posted here befor. I posted it, but I don't remember the thread....Oh yes. Look for thought of the day July 4th.

-fadac

Subject: RE: Men of Conscience
From: Vixen
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 12:37 PM

OOOOPS!

I didn't mean to duplicate! Can somebody remove the thread please???

(I don't have internet access over the weekends, so I missed Fadac's original post...)

V

Subject: RE: Men of Conscience
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 12:42 PM

I don't know if anyone studies or collects them, but I think this written communication stuff is definitely a folk thing. It started with mimeographed office humor and now has progressed to e-mail forwarding.

I think about what has happened to "The Plan," you know, the one that starts "In the beginning, there was..." I've received many forwards of this throughout the years, all different. Someone could collect variants and trace it back to it's roots to see how it was spread and how it mutated. David Diamond wrote the original back in 1970 or 1971, entitled 'Essay in Creative Specification.' He never signed it, someone made a bunch of copies, and the rest is history (or folklore).

Subject: RE: Men of Conscience
From: GeorgeH
Date: 10 Aug 99 - 01:55 PM

Well I don't see how the post is inflamatory . . .

Now, a consideration of the declaration itself in the context of post war US foreign policy - THAT would be inflamatory . . .

G. (OK, I'm not suggesting we're any better this side of the pond!)