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04 Jul 02 - 03:40 PM (#742379) Subject: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Amos For those of you who have grown distant from the original impulse which launched the Great Experiment called the United States; And for those of you who always wondered what that kafluffle in the 1760's was really about and why all those farmers rolled out of bed and started shooting just because some guy on a horse rode by; For anyone who wants it, and anyone who needs it; Here are a few ready pointers to the documents that once defined the American Vision. Lest, in comfort, complacency, amidst bread and circuses, we need reminders about who we are: 1- Declaration of Independence 2- Articles of Confederation 3- United States Constitution 4- Federalist papers 5- Anti-federalist papers 6- The war inevitable 7- Common Sense 8- The Rights of Man 9- The papers of Thomas Jefferson |
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04 Jul 02 - 03:46 PM (#742385) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Amos The links above in some cases get redirected; my apologies. The text version of each link is correct and can be pasted into the browser URL window for correct linking. A |
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04 Jul 02 - 03:50 PM (#742389) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: The Pooka Wow. / Thankyou Amos. |
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04 Jul 02 - 04:59 PM (#742436) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Paul Mitchell Wish I had seen this thread earlier. I hope you all had a great day and a good party. THinking of you all in this tough year. Paul |
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04 Jul 02 - 05:06 PM (#742438) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: mack/misophist Redundant and unnecessary but, onthe other hand, vitally important. |
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04 Jul 02 - 05:07 PM (#742439) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: mack/misophist PS: Did everybody know Thomas Paine was a corset maker? |
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04 Jul 02 - 05:38 PM (#742455) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Giac Thank you, Amos. No matter how much we _think_ we know about our history, it's good to have a reality check once in awhile. Corsets? Does that make Thomas Paine one of our foundation fathers? ~;o) Happy Birthday, America! Mary |
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04 Jul 02 - 05:38 PM (#742456) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Celtic Soul Thanks Amos! That is where it all began. |
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04 Jul 02 - 08:17 PM (#742548) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: The Pooka No, because I just saw on another thread that it's Shatner who is the foundation of the corset industry. (Wigs, too, it said, though it didn't specify the Powdered kind.) Such kaflufflery aside, however, thanks again Amos for reminding us of what is truly important about today. |
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04 Jul 02 - 08:37 PM (#742553) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: DonD I'm no flagwaver, but it does bother me that the 'Glorious 4th' has become so much a day of BBQ's and holiday sales. Radio stations (e.g. NPR) air interviews with tourists at the Statue of Loberty and Mt. Rushmore, with people tearing up at the sacrifice of the military who, this year, are 'sacrificing their day with their families to protect us and our national treasures', but it struck me that it would be more meaningful/symptomatic if they had interviewed beer-drinkers at baseball ganes and beaches, and shoppers at malls to hear them wax emotional at the sacrifice of the hot dog sellers or the retail salespeople for their giving up their holiday in the spirit of the occasion. Picnics used to be traditional to go along with the fireworks, but they used to be accompanied by patriotic band music and a recitation of the Declaration of Independence. Now the only reminders of the seriousness of the day is here on Mudcat. Thanks, Amos. Having been so sanctimonious, I must now confess that my celebration cosisted of trying to escape the sweltering weather here in NY by going to an afternoon movie with my wife. Higher moral powers prevailed, however, because there was a power outage about 20 minutes into the film and we had to give up and go home. |
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04 Jul 02 - 09:34 PM (#742576) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: McGrath of Harlow See the thread about the honking duck site being up and raring again today, with all those old 78s of American music from the 30s and 30s and so forth; that's a proper July 4th celebration.
It seems to me the thing to do is to value the things that are good about the place or system you are proud of, and never pretend the bad things are good just because they are yours.
Celebration should always be tempered by owning up to those kinds of things (such as the system of slavery and its aftermath, and the genocide and expropriation of the first Americans), and in recognising what still needs to be done to undo a little bit of the damage done.
That applies to the rest of us too - all countries have dark pasts that people are tempted to turn away from. True patriotism keeps those kinds of things in sharp focus. |
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04 Jul 02 - 09:58 PM (#742588) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Don Firth Thanks for posting those, Amos. Good to get back to basics once in a while. And I do have to agree wholeheartedly with McGrath. Don Firth |
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05 Jul 02 - 02:00 AM (#742669) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: GUEST,DW at work Jees, what an incredible set of links. Thanks. As for undoing the damage, it's a two way thing. I see the wrong side of a lot of people who just sit back and say, hell, this country has screwed my people for what it can get, now it's my turn. You have to want to change. Like therapy for drug abuse, alcohol abuse, many mental anomalies, you have to want to change yourself. DW |
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05 Jul 02 - 02:02 AM (#742672) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: GUEST,DW at work Jees, what an incredible set of links. Thanks. As for undoing the damage, it's a two way thing. I see the wrong side of a lot of people who just sit back and say, hell, this country has screwed my people for what it can get, now it's my turn. You have to want to change. Like therapy for drug abuse, alcohol abuse, many mental anomalies, you have to want to change yourself. DW |
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05 Jul 02 - 07:05 AM (#742783) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Thank you, Amos. Last night I attended one of the best Independance day celebrations I have ever known. A wonderful couple, both in their 80s, hosted a soiree on their deck overlooking Mt. Monadnock. The air had finally cooled to a bearable sweetness after several sultry days, and in the course of the evening the host stood up and read the Declaration of Independance (abridging it by reading only a few of King George's infractions). By the end of the reading his voice was ragged and emotional. He concluded, "Ladies and gentlemen, a toast to the United States of America!". He then had one of the guests light a small cannon he keeps for the purpose- it fired into the woods and we all toasted our country for the freedoms it originally stood for. |
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06 Jul 02 - 12:19 AM (#743226) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Amos I believe there are people all over the country, whether of high or low station, who believe that the Great Experiment was of utmost impotance in human affairs, and are appalled at the tattering that is eating away at its edges. I also think they are resilient, articulate and flexible people, who will be pushed only so far. I do not bellieve the current Administration contains any of them -- or at least, not many. A |
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06 Jul 02 - 01:36 AM (#743241) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Genie Thanks, Amos. Now go take yer bloody vacation, y'heah? (An' have a good 'un!) Genie |
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19 Sep 04 - 01:15 PM (#1275655) Subject: RE: Independence Day: The Important Part... From: Amos Refresh. These issues are more critical as we think about what to do in November. A |