BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Becca72
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 02:29 PM

From: Rapaire - PM
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 11:30 AM

Celebrate like they did in 1776: hide from the British

My family celebrated WITH the British this year (Jacqui's family shared the day with us and it was wonderful)

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: open mike
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 08:40 AM

i went with a freind to a scenic overlook beside the highway where we could see fireworks from several area communities far below in the valley. about a dozen cars were there. the only "music" was from car stereos, one of which had a nasty burned out speaker.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 08:52 PM

I love what this country could be; I often hate what it is.

Spaw

But, Spaw, your truth of your statement is what I love bout this country and its inhabitants: Unlike a great many other countries- naming no names - the USA acknowledges its failings and slogs on. hoping to make it better. I think our response is very close to unique.

I read once that very few - if any - countries have the message of the line: "God mend thine every flaw" in any of their official anthems. Our best loved song, America, the Beautiful, has a number of lines like that and we are very comfortable with conceding our imperfections. Always with the hope of improvement.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: catspaw49
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 07:54 PM

I love what this country could be; I often hate what it is.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 04:07 PM

OOps missing blicky! It was supposed to say:

Anybody see the Dec of Indep as a tweet contest? from the Washington Post Style Invitational? The winner (etc.)

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 04:05 PM

Yay! Anybody see the The winner was Bye, George, we've got it...

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Jul 10 - 01:49 AM

Well, I've just got home from a backyard potluck/full blown music jam afternoon and evening after a morning of Independence Day parade. Got into a political discussion and we all agreed that, warts and all, we have a good country. Great time.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: olddude
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 11:43 PM

i would give my life for the old stars and stripes any time
and my friend Rap, you know exactly what i mean

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 02:49 PM

I'm just glad I made it another day.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 01:18 PM

Well, ya' just can't please all the anti-God people, can ya'?...Especially when it comes to the scripture, 'God is Love' (I John4:8....not that I'm a 'bible thumper')...I guess people just forget, due to all the 're-defining' of just about everything, that gets in political posturing's way!

Happy Fourth!.....Glad we made it another year, eh?

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Gervase
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 01:11 PM

I perceive that the 'flexibility' of Britain has not made its system appreciably better or its people happier.
As an entirely subjective view, it's impossible to say. Per capita, fewer people in the UK murder their fellow citizens, are illiterate, die in childbirth or live in poverty, so perhaps that could be seen as a comparative measure of happiness.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 12:42 PM

Agreed, Bill D. The addition of 'under God' was in direct response to McCarthyism.

Gervase Webb, 11:53 am, I perceive that the 'flexibility' of Britain has not made its system appreciably better or its people happier.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Bill D
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 12:20 PM

I am old enough to remember Red Skelton doing that live, and it is moving & eloquent. I'd like to see it played more widely...with one caveat
...
I just wish they had not insisted on adding 'under God', as that phrase distorts the basic idea of unity among those of ALL beliefs or lack therof. The notion that our amazing experiment requires deference to a religious concept is not what the founders planned.


"Liberty & justice for all"

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Gervase
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 11:53 AM

There was an interesting piece in the Guardian a few days ago by Maya Jasanoff which gave an interesting perspective on the legacy of the declaration of independence.

When Americans look at Britain, they see the monarchy and aristocracy as emblems of an antiquated political system, and champion the US constitution for outlining a near-perfect modern government. But the beauty of Britain's unwritten constitution, at least as Edmund Burke portrayed it, rests in its capacity to evolve over time. This flexibility means that Britain has arguably witnessed more sweeping reforms in the last 15 years than the US has managed in 200. The debate over electoral reform in Britain, for instance, would be inconceivable in the US, where we can't even get rid of the electoral college, a clumsy relic of the 1780s...
The irony is that Britain's political culture, by some lights the more tradition-bound, has undergone a continuous process of change – whereas America, which prides itself on radical revolutionary origins, has gilded itself into an 18th-century cage.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: DonMeixner
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 11:40 AM

Yup. Hide behind trees and fences, aim low, target the officers.

D

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 11:30 AM

Celebrate like they did in 1776: hide from the British.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: GUEST,999
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 10:44 AM

Best wishes to you from your Canuck friends.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: MikeL2
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 10:42 AM

Hi

Happy Independence Day to all American catters.

From MikeL2 "over the pond".

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: gnu
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 09:24 AM

Happy July 4 youse down south and waaaay up in Alaska!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Amos
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 09:17 AM

Still trucking. Good thing, too!

But if I could write the script, I would take a review of things we need to be independent from today. Oil, banking cartels, and Medicare Part B come to mind. Independence from traffic would be nice, as well as from traffic police. Independence from dimwits would be a major plus. The IRS and Homeland Security and other awful social inventions.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: DonMeixner
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 08:50 AM

This must be a happy Separation Day for the Brits. If it weren't so we'd be eating foods with funny names like Spotted Dick, Bubble and Squeak, and Bangers and Mash instead of food with sensible names like Flap Jacks, Red Flannel Hash, and Hot Ruben's.

Up with the constitution! Down with King George!

Don

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 07:55 AM

...and Louis Armstrong's official birthday.

RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 04 Jul 10 - 04:12 AM

Remember me???

Happy 4th!

GfS

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: LadyJean
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 11:12 PM

I never sit down to write, but that I thank God for my country's libel laws.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: maeve
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 11:04 PM

Thank you for that link, Rapaire.

maeve

Subject: BS: Happy Independence Day 2010!!
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 10:43 PM

The Declaration of Independence....