Showing posts with label Declaration of Independence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Declaration of Independence. Show all posts

Celebrate INDEPENDENCE DAY

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Friday, July 03, 2009 10 Of Your Sparks

Tomorrow, the United States Of America celebrates INDEPENDENCE DAY. This is the day in 1776 when the Declaration Of Independence was signed by the representatives of the Continental Congress, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire.


Contrary to popular belief it is NOT “Blow Your Fingers Off Fourth” or “Booze, Boating & Chicks of July Day”, nor is it “Barf On The Bar-B-Que Day”.

Now, you can certainly enjoy the fireworks displays put on by every city, town and rural district in the country it seems, and no one is saying you should stay off the water or a chick tomorrow. I do however certainly hope, like driving, if you have imbibed alcohol that you stay away from the wheel of your boat also. Setting off your own fireworks is an American Right, IMHO...BUT, you must be safe and ensure children are kept a minimum of 50 feet away when you are lighting them.

And having friends over for a Bar-B-Que and enjoying some cold wet beers is a wonderful way to celebrate…but please folks, while you are doing all of those things, remember that this is not just “The Fourth Of July”…it is INDEPENDENCE DAY.

And we are not talking about aliens coming from the skies and Will Smith punching them and knocking them cold before stoking up a stogy. This is the day we revel in the fact that these men (and women…cause believe me William Floyd, Samuel Chase, Lyman Hall and the rest were hearing it from their Missus when they were home; “William! When are you going to kicketh some Redcoat rear endeth out from here? Doth you know how mucheth I spend in tea each week for you? The taxes are killing me. At least you could be like Thomas McKean and drinketh rum or whiskey…that stuff is cheap”) took up the cause for freedom for our citizenship


Two Hundred Thirty three years ago our country took on its own course. Could those 56 men have envisioned what has transpired over those so many years?

Could they have envisioned the acceptance of those who were not protected by their declaration? That their slaves would be given their emancipation some 90 years later?

Did they have any idea that women would stand up and fight for and win the right to vote alongside their husbands and sons some 150 years after they scrawled their names on that piece of parchment??

Obviously this document they signed was far from perfect. It only took 15 years before the first United States Congress took up the fact that the Constitution did not contain a Bill Of Rights for the citizens of this new nation.

The Bill Of Rights (actually the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution of the United States) were introduced by James Madison to the First United States Congress in 1789 as a series of articles, and came into effect on December 15, 1791, when they had been ratified by three-fourths of the States. Thomas Jefferson was the main proponent of the Bill of Rights.

The idea of adding a bill of rights to the Constitution was originally controversial. Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist No. 84, argued against a "Bill of Rights," asserting that ratification of the Constitution did not mean the American people were surrendering their rights, and therefore that protections were unnecessary: "Here, in strictness, the people surrender nothing, and as they retain everything, they have no need of particular reservations." Critics pointed out that earlier political documents had protected specific rights, but Hamilton argued that the Constitution was inherently different; "Bills of rights are in their origin, stipulations between kings and their subjects, abridgments of prerogative in favor of privilege, reservations of rights not surrendered to the prince. Such was "Magna Charta", obtained by the Barons, swords in hand, from King John."

Finally, Hamilton expressed the fear that protecting specific rights might imply that any unmentioned rights would not be protected; "I go further, and affirm that bills of rights, in the sense and in the extent in which they are contended for, are not only unnecessary in the proposed constitution, but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers which are not granted; and on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted. For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do?"

Essentially, Hamilton and other Federalists believed in the British system of common law which did not define or quantify natural rights. They believed that adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution would limit their rights to those listed in the Constitution. This is the primary reason the Ninth Amendment was included.

The 10 are:
• First Amendment – Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
• Second Amendment – A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
• Third Amendment – No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
Fourth Amendment – right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
• Fifth Amendment – No person shall be held to answer for any capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
• Sixth Amendment – In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
• Seventh Amendment – In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
• Eighth Amendment – Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
• Ninth Amendment –The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
• Tenth Amendment – The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Since then, 17 additional Amendments have been added to our Constitution. #13 abolished slavery, #19 gave women the vote. #18, adopted in 1919 shut the taps off and the holy Bagwine was made illegal.

Smarter minds (and thirsty throats) repealed this in 1933 when the 21st Amendment was ratified. It reads in part:
  1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.
  2. Belly up to the bar boys and girls, time to put our swing on again…

So as you celebrate INDEPENDENCE DAY, keep in mind the men and women since 1776 who have given their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today.
  • The soldiers who continue to serve our country and give their lives in far away lands.
  • The women who stood up and were beaten down, but persisted in gaining their right to be heard.
  • Those who only asked to be accepted as human beings, equal to all others during the 50's and 60's. Men and women, black and white, the stood shoulder to shoulder against armed police, water canons and attack dogs. Their fight was long, but in the end they too persisted.


Be Safe...
Be Smart...
Be Proud Of Your County...
Honor Those Who Have Come Before...

The Great Lady Of Song...and A Fantastic Song It Is...

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ALL!

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CELEBRATE THE U.S.A.

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Thursday, July 03, 2008 42 Of Your Sparks

Is the post pushed down below the sidebars for you? Is the post centered or aligned to the left? I am getting complaints and can not figure out why this is happening. Please let me know. AND tell me the browser you are using. This is really making me crazy! (Well crazier than I normally am!)



The last two years, I have posted a history of the
Declaration of Independence...

If you have not read it you can find it HERE





This year...we are going to just ask you all to be safe...

to have a wonderful time with friends and family

and to remember that this day is truly about remembering

we are all here and allowed to live our lives
because a group of men gathered and

wrote a document which gives us the freedoms
we all sometimes take for granted
Sometimes it feels as if these freedoms are
not there but if we all stay as one,
they will be for generations to come...

May our men and women who are in danger

around the world all come home safely,
so that next year they too can celebrate
with their loved ones






ALL PHOTOS CAN BE ENLARGED


SEE ALL Y'ALL ON MONDAY........


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Independence Day 2007

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Wednesday, July 04, 2007 15 Of Your Sparks

A rerun from 07/03/2006
With a new opening, some formatting changes and the addition of music
enjoy!

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HAPPY
INDEPENDENCE DAY
to our guests from the U.S.A.

To those of you not celebrating
Happy Wednesday!

Musically, today you have your choice of:
Elvis

or Ray
(who does the third verse and then the well know first verse)

or BOTH today!


Please stay well and enjoy happiness...

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June 11, 1776, five men meet in secret...their goal, to draft a resolution by which the 13 colonies would break from rule by the British. These five men (John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston & Roger Sherman), decided that Mr. Jefferson would write the original draft.

When he was done, Franklin and Adams made some minor changes and these changes were incorporated prior to presenting the document to the Continental Congress on June 28, 1776.


John Trumbull's famous painting is usually incorrectly identified as a depiction of the signing of the Declaration. What the painting actually depicts is the five-man drafting committee presenting their work to the Congress. Trumbull's painting can also be found on the back of the U.S. $2 bill.




On July 2, 1776, independence was declared as outlined in the "Lee Resolution" presented to the Continental Congress by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776, which read (in part):

"Resolved: 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."

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The full declaration (after some additional rewriting) was adopted at the Pennsylvania State House on July 4, 1776.

The original was signed by John Hancock and Charles Thompson. Then a local printer, John Dunlop spent the evening printing 150-200 copies of the document. The original document never survived but there are about 25 original "Dunlap broadsides" in existence.

On July 19, 1776, Congress ordered a new handwritten copy be produced and signed by all of the original delegates to sign.

On August 2, 1776, most of the delegates signed this document, in geographic order of their colonies from north to south, though some delegates were not present and had to sign later. Two delegates never signed at all. As new delegates joined the congress, they were also allowed to sign. A total of 56 delegates eventually signed. This is the copy on display at the National Archives.

The youngest to sign was Edward Rutledge (26). The oldest, Benjamin Franklin (70).

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THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Today- do not skip over it - read it...this is our freedom

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 of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or 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 shewn, 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 so 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 the Facts be submitted to a candid World.

COUCH NOTE: * The signers then list 27 grievances against the British Crown. The grievances are directed personally at the King

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 Attentions 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 the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

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THE SIGNERS
In order - North to South
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Were these men perfect? Absolutely not! We all know that many were slave owners and that their words did not represent slaves. Women were also not represented in this document or it's meaning. But right in the beginning, they also gave those that follow the ability to change as the times changed:

"that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or 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."

Over the centuries, our ancestors have righted these wrongs and given those who were once slaves their freedom and women the right to vote.

Did these changes come easily? Of course not, change is never easy. The change that these men saw fit in the 1700's was certainly not easy. The civil war pitted brother against brother in some cases. The fight for a woman's right to vote was long and hard.

For the most part the changes that have needed to be made have been made.

Are we perfect today? Like our ancestors, we are not. We have many things that we still need to change and slowly over time we can only hope they will.

Will they change without struggle? Again...no.

But the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is built on the words that change can be made...and without those words who knows what our lives would be today.

Today we celebrate the day these patriots stood up to a government that was intolerable. We get together with friends and loved ones and enjoy the company of all. We barbeque and eat and drink and laugh and smile.

Many will watch the fireworks - which represent the battles that took place during the original fight for freedom.

What we no longer do, it seems, is stop to reflect on the lives that were lost during this struggle and the lives that have been lost in the many struggles that followed. Not only the wars we fought with our military (we have days to honor those brave men and women)...but the lives that were lost fighting for freedom within the USA.

The lives lost by those who fought for racial freedom.

The lives lost by women during their struggle for equality.

The lives lost over the right to choose.

The lives lost by those who have protested what they have felt are unfair policies of our govenment.

All these lives have been lost in the continuing struggle to get it right.

Will we ever get it right?

I certainly can not answer that question, but I can certainly hope and pray we do our best to get as close as possible.

So, today, JULY 4, 2007, as you sit with friends and family and throw another burger on the grill or pop open another beer, take one moment and silently thank those people who began the fight in 1776 and all of those who have continued the fight over the last 231 years...

We are not perfect...but we could be so much less perfect without them.

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CREDITS:

"AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL"

Elvis Presley
"Live In Las Vegas"
12/06/1975
-+-
Ray Charles
"A Message From the People"
1972

Words by Katharine Lee Bates,
Melody by Samuel Ward


COUCH NOTE: Have you ever read all the lyrics? So much more there than just the first verse which praises our land. The verse every child knows.

The remaining verses praise the people and the struggle that was fought and won.

Katharine Lee Bates wrote the original version in 1893. She wrote the 2nd version in 1904. Her final version was written in 1913.

Here is a note from Katharine Lee Bates we found on the internet:

"One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse."


O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!

O beautiful for pilgrims feet,
Whose stem impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till paths be wrought through
wilds of thought
By pilgrim foot and knee!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

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Little League...MORE on the D.O.I. and the weird world...

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Thursday, July 13, 2006 3 Of Your Sparks

Well...I missed a day...This tournament has been kicking my ass. Last night was the worst though.
Our 12-year old All-stars were playing the team from Washington Township. Our Softball team had knocked theirs out of that tournament- so we knew they were coming out in force. This game would determine the "winner's Bracket" entry into the final game. The loser would get another chance at the final game by winning the game to be held today for the "consolation bracket" champion... you must lose 2 games in this tournament to be totally eliminated, so you can reach the final game by winning against all the other 1 loss teams....I just know 1/2 of you are shaking your heads..totally confused!
So, I hear over the walkie talkie we are closing the parking lots...too full. We then divert the cars around the corner to the Municipal Center where we run shuttles. Then I hear Luke who is diverting at the street say that some woman refuses to go to the shuttle and is blocking traffic. I jump in our golf cart and head there and all of a sudden I see like 8 cars coming in. I get to the end and Luke tells me one of the umps arrived and he let him in, as we have reserved spots for the officials, newspapers etc., and as he did, this woman zipped around him and almost hit him.
I drive back to the complex and one of the other guy's, Jeff, says to me on the walkie, "Mr. M., she is right here near me, she is laughing about getting around Luke." So, I drive over and find her. Man, I was so upset, I did not yell, but my voice does carry and I said "Lady, you try that stunt again and almost hit one of our teens, I will have you taken off the property in handcuffs."
The in the top of the 6th...tied at 4, the skies opened up. Our President is in Europe on business, so de facto, somehow I become the "Tournament Official" on site as we are the hosts.
The Washington people decide they can drive up to the fields to get poor little Johnny, so he doesn't get wet. In the process I see like 12 cars all weaving on the grass, one almost hits a kid...so I am out there waving them off, being called names by the parents and being ignored by others, so I walked down and shut the entry gate so they were locked in and others could not follow. Took sown some license plate numbers. Those folks might be diverted to the shuttles tonight just because!
So, tonight, they have to finish that game at 5pm. The loser then plays for the "consolation bracket" final at 7pm. We also have 2 softball games tonight, so another long, tiring, greasy evening on tap! WOOOO

OK, now we have all been absorbed by the Declaration Of Independence and the stories of the men who wrote it...and what became of them...and I posted the entry from Anita Blank the other day...That

THUMP
That is the sound of brother Rich's comment hitting the post "More D.O.I. facts & A Report From The Grill"
He sends us to that wondrously incredible site ... The "SNOPES URBAN LEGENDS PAGE"...there you will find out that some of the information regarding the signers is true... but some is not. The article is located here and makes for some very interesting reading in itself. There were some inaccuracies that I should have noted, but alas I missed them - like NAMES SPELLED INCORRECTLY! sheesh....


OK, this one caught my eye immediately:
By Associated Press LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A power outage that blacked out about 2,000 customers in Las Cruces is being blamed on a combination of a snake and a bird. The customers lost their electricity Tuesday after a bird dropped a bull snake on a power line, shorting out the line, El Paso Electric Co. spokeswoman Teresa Souza said. "I know that's weird. ... I've never heard anything like that and I've been working here for 10 years," Souza said. She said she did not know how large the snake was, and she would not speculate on what type of bird dropped it. Power was restored in less than an hour.

 So, I also see where an "Ex-American Idol" contestant has been accused of child porn.
Former 'American Idol' Contestant Indicted
By Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY - A former "American Idol" contestant accused of videotaping sexual encounters with two teenage girls has been indicted on child pornography charges. XYZ - 27, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to charges of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. A trial date was set for Sept. 18. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison. XYZ, a contestant on the popular TV talent competition two years ago, was arrested last month in West Valley City after a 14-year-old girl contacted police. He has remained in the Salt Lake County Jail since his arrest. The Salt Lake County district attorney's office has also charged XYZ with unlawful sexual activity with a minor and unlawful supply of alcohol to minors. He is scheduled to appear in district court July 25 for a preliminary hearing on those charges.
This person's resume is on their web site and shows the following in a list of credits:
  • AMERICAN IDOL 5 (Semi-Finalist)-Was in the top 70 of 100,000
  • UTAH AMERICAN IDOL-appeared on FOX 13. -
  • USA WORLD SHOWCASE (First Place)-Adult Singing/Songwriting division Las Vegas, March 2005 @ MGM (appeared on national television via PAX. -
  • AMERICAN IDOL 2 (Finalist)-top 100 of 11,000 in L.A.
Now, riddle me this kids.. first off the top 70 or the top 100..what did this dude get like 35 seconds of air time? Why was his association with the "World Showcase" or the TV station PAX mentioned??? Look, when you begin with 100,000+ contestants, some will not be the kind of person you would invite for dinner...but to associate this piece of trash with American Idol as they do in the headlines is ridiculous. I even deleted his name so his business would not get any publicity.

Ugh...tell me what is happening out there folks? The Middle-East is truly on the verge... North Korea (which has been a huge problem for years, but someone's daddy hadn't screwed it up, so there was no reason to deal with them...

I would love to be able to enjoy the summer at some point...maybe next year...

Remember .. Nets For Malaria - UNFoundation.org/malaria - find the big SI's Nothing But Net logo ... Or call 202.887.9040. Every cent goes to buying nets to place over the beds of children in Africa to stomp out Malaria. PLEASE HELP.

Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.

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More D.O.I. facts & A Report From The Grill

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Monday, July 10, 2006 6 Of Your Sparks

Happy Monday all...

Growing up, our next door neighbors were Al & Helen Blank. A real great couple who always had smiles on their faces. There kids, Larry and Anita were both older. Anita was about 2 years older then me and Larry was 5-6 years older (if I have those numbers wrong, please let me know Anita and/or Larry - I am 52 now).
Anyway, my dad received an email from Anita and forwarded it to me. As I have been so busy with the tournament at Little League, I have not had time to read it until today.
Wish I had this when I did my July 4th posting... some interesting tidbits about those 56 men who banded together to ensure their thoughts on liberty were recorded:

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed
the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large
plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of
Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the
seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died
in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family
almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in
hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett,
Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis
had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George
Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and
she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled
for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year, he
lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed,
rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had
security, but they valued liberty more.

Standing talk straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration,
with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each
other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you
a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We
were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July Holiday and silently thank these
patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: Freedom is never free!

I hope you will show your support by please sending this to as many people as you can.
It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more
to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

Liked that a lot and had to share..Thanks Anita.

Well, we are through the first 4 days of the District Tournament. Concession has been hopping.
First lesson of the day kids...ADVERTISING WORKS!
For years we have sold cheesesteak hoagies. We use Rib-eye (told you that already...didn't I!?!)... The last three years, sales have gone down actually and - if not for the fact that I love them - they might have been gone from the menu next season!
In 2003, we sold 97 during regular season and 68 post-season (total 165).
In 2004 - this struck me.. 71 in regular season, 71 in post season (total 142).
Last year we sold 58 regular season, 21 post-season for a dismal 79 total.
This regular season we only sold 35 of them! That is less then 1 box.
So, just before this tournament began, I redid the signs we have near the order window. I decided to be more specific about the cheesesteak sandwiches. So, I made them "RIB-EYE CHEESE STEAKS" ... "Made with thinly sliced rib-eye steaks and covered with melted cheese sauce, Philly-Style" ... It also says, "We Do Not Use Steak-Umms" NOTE: Steak-umms are a beef product that looks like thin sandwich steak, and probably has to contain some beef...but....
so, since then...we have sold...in 4 days...108 Cheese Steak Sandwiches.
For the full post season (12 days) we've sold 127. First 8 days were 8-year old softball...and they are not big buyers in general.
Bottom Line- ADVERTISING WORKS!
Making some good money for the league also...
Thursday (2 games) earned over $1,200;
Friday (2 games) was $1,300+;
Saturday (2 games) included a run to Sam's for more french fries and other items...ran out of food already! Total was a tad shy of $1,400;
Sunday: the killer day...4 games - 12 hours on site, 99% of them at the grill... $1,900+ ... still not our record though. That was on July 11, 2004 and the register was $2,523.00. That was the Sunday of this same tournament. The difference yesterday was two-fold. We had two games that were lop-sided prior to their starting, so many times the opposing team's fans will not come out in force for a game like that Secondly, three of the games yesterday were decided early by the 10-run rule. So, we probably lost 2 hours of selling.

I KNOW I AM RAMBLING>>>>but that is why I set this place up ... no?

Bwahahahahahahaha - see what little sleep and cooking so many cheesesteaks will do to you!

Remember .. Nets For Malaria - UNFoundation.org/malaria - find the big SI's Nothing But Net logo ... Or call 202.887.9040. Every cent goes to buying nets to place over the beds of children in Africa to stomp out Malaria. PLEASE HELP.

Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.

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July 4, 1776 - July 4, 2006 - 230 Years Of Change

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Monday, July 03, 2006 4 Of Your Sparks

June 11, 1776, five men meet in secret...their goal, to draft a resolution by which the 13 colonies would break from rule by the British. These five men (John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston & Roger Sherman), decided that Mr. Jefferson would write the original draft. When he was done, Franklin and Adams made some minor changes and these changes were incorporated prior to presenting the document to the Continental Congress on June 28, 1776.
John Trumbull's famous painting is usually incorrectly identified as a depiction of the signing of the Declaration. What the painting actually depicts is the five-man drafting committee presenting their work to the Congress. Trumbull's painting can also be found on the back of the U.S. $2 bill.


On July 2, 1776, independence was declared as outlined in the "Lee Resolution" presented to the Continental Congress by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia on June 7, 1776, which read (in part): "Resolved: 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."
The full declaration (after some additional rewriting) was adopted at the Pennsylvania State House on July 4, 1776.
The original was signed by John Hancock and Charles Thompson. Then a local printer, John Dunlop spent the evening printing 150-200 copies of the document. The original document never survived but there are about 25 original "Dunlap broadsides" in existence.
On July 19, 1776, Congress ordered a new handwritten copy be produced and signed by all of the original delegates to sign. On August 2, 1776, most of the delegates signed this document, in geographic order of their colonies from north to south, though some delegates were not present and had to sign later. Two delegates never signed at all. As new delegates joined the congress, they were also allowed to sign. A total of 56 delegates eventually signed. This is the copy on display at the National Archives.
The youngest to sign was Edward Rutledge (26). The oldest, Benjamin Franklin (70).

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Today- do not skip over it - read it...this is our freedom
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 of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or 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 shewn, 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 so 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 the Facts be submitted to a candid World. NOTE: * The signers then list 27 grievances against the British Crown. The grievances are directed personally at the King
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 Attentions 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 the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
THE SIGNERS
In order - North to South
Were these men perfect? Absolutely not! We all know that many were slave owners and that their words did not represent slaves. Women were also not represented in this document or it's meaning. But right in the beginning, they also gave those that follow the ability to change as the times changed:
"that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or 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."
Over the centuries, our ancestors have righted these wrongs and given those who were once slaves their freedom and women the right to vote.
Did these changes come easily? Of course not, change is never easy. The change that these men saw fit in the 1700's was certainly not easy. The civil war pitted brother against brother in some cases. The fight for a woman's right to vote was long and hard.
For the most part the changes that have needed to be made have been made.
Are we perfect today? Like our ancestors, we are not. We have many things that we still need to change and slowly over time we can only hope they will.
Will they change without struggle? Again...no.
But the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is built on the words that change can be made...and without those words who knows what our lives would be today.
Tomorrow we celebrate the day these patriots stood up to a government that was intolerable.
We get together with friends and loved ones and enjoy the company of all.
We barbeque and eat and drink and laugh and smile.
Many will watch the fireworks - which represent the battles that took place during the original fight for freedom.
What we no longer do, it seems, is stopping to reflect on the lives that were lost during this struggle and the lives that have been lost in the many struggles that followed. Not only the wars we fought with our military (we have days to honor those brave men and women)...but the lives that were lost fighting for freedom within the USA.
The lives lost by those who fought for racial freedom.
The lives lost by women during their struggle for equality.
The lives lost over the right to choose.
The lives lost by those who have protested what they have felt are unfair policies of our govenment.
All these lives have been lost in the continuing struggle to get it right.
Will we ever get it right?
I certainly can not answer that question, but I can certainly hope and pray we do our best to get as close as possible.
So, tomorrow, JULY 4, 2006, as you sit with friends and family and throw another burger on the grill or pop open another beer, take one moment and silently thank those people who began the fight in 1776 and all of those who have continued the fight over the last 230 years...
We are not perfect...but we could be so much less perfect without them.

Remember .. Nets For Malaria - UNFoundation.org/malaria - find the big SI's Nothing But Net logo ... Or call 202.887.9040. Every cent goes to buying nets to place over the beds of children in Africa to stomp out Malaria. PLEASE HELP.

Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.

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