Good Morning!
And Happy Independence Day!
🎆 🎇 🎆 🎇 🎆 🎇 🎆 🎇 🎆 🎇 🎆 🎇
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On this day in 1776 The Declaration of Independence, prepared by Thomas Jefferson, was approved and signed by the Continental Congress in America.
IN CONGRESS, 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 of 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 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 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 mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations 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 harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the 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 a 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 offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring 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 into 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, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & 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 endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an 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 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 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.
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Quote of the Day
“Let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”
Thomas Jefferson
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I think some patriotic music is in order. 🙂
From The United States Army Field Band
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Wandering Views 
Good morning everyone.
How will you celebrate Independence Day?
We won’t do anything special. It’s likely the parade will be rained out.
My flag was out all night and it got wet.
There was some fireworks last night. They stopped about 10:00, which was good.
Otherwise, it’s just a regular Saturday.
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Good morning. Other than the oldest two children, who have to work today, we are traveling to my parents’ house and taking them a meal.
Hope you all have a blessed Independence Day, how ever you spend it. 🙂
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Stephen Foster was born on this day in 1826, so in honor of that, here is my musical contribution for the day.
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Happy day to all my American friends!
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Good Morning All. We saw fireworks from the hotel last night. They weren’t as good as they have been in past years. A nice breeze was coming in off the bay, so they were able to go as high and with the atmospheric conditions they spent themselves out too quickly, but it was still nice to sit on the beach and look up the bay and see them so I am not complaining at all, just stating a fact.
We will probably go back down today. My friends will keep the house open all weekend and it is a casual come and go atmosphere.
Miss Lulabelle ran out the front door this morning. It took me about 10 minutes to get her back inside. She scared the poor little lady across the street. She is so rambunctious and galloping, she could have knocked the woman down. I finally resorted to the bad of treats to bribe her. I don’t kike to do that because it reinforces the bad behaviour but I needed her to come inside. I am still in my pajamas!!!! Now she is curled up on the living room floor like SHE has had a tough morning. Amos just sees me go near the treats and sits pretty to get one. With him all I have to do is snap my fingers – he stops and comes to me. I was hoping Lou would pick that up.
Have a nice, relaxing holiday everyone.
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Just another day at the cave for me, albeit the busiest, craziest day of the year. Not only is it Independence Day, but Hannibal has its “Tom Sawyer Days”, so there are thousands of tourists around.
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“Beautiful Dreamer” is one of the Stephen Foster songs you can still play.
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I was wondering through the house one day absently whistling, when my husband called, “Stop! What are you whistling?”
I had to think a minute. “Ah, I see why you don’t recognize the song. It’s the piccolo part from Stars and Stripes Forever.”
He stared. “What? Where’s the rest of it?”
I stared back and waved my hand across my forehead. “It’s all roaring through here. I’m just playing my part.”
Lol.
Love the piccolo.
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missed the concert last night as I didn’t want to go alone, but Aj has blessed me with the music. Thanks
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I can’t ever remember rain on the Fourth of July. Shark scares after Jaws came out, yes, but not rain. 🙂
A friend from down the street and I are planning go to the Print Museum this afternoon (I’ve never been but always wanted to go). Freedom dogs, apple pie and some kind of a show at 3. “Dorky” fun, my friend predicts. 🙂
http://www.printmuseum.org
But I also have to put in 4 hours of work sometime today (not all in one chunk and I don’t have to actually go into the office). So I need to intersperse the day with checking the wires online and making cop calls check the wires online, make cop calls just to make sure nothing is going on.
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Back when my dad was working nights in Santa Monica, my mom had to always pick him up at the end of his shift (midnight or 1 a.m., I think) since we only had one car.
So on Fourth my mom and I spent the night watching fireworks from the sand at Santa Monica pier until it was time to pick my dad up.
Otherwise, we usually watched the fireworks from the local park, sometimes going early for a picnic. I remember one year my friend’s dad, who was active in the VFW, was also part of the ceremony so we got to hang out in their building that was inside the park.
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When I was in college, my freshman year I was working the evening cleaning crew. My boss asked her boss if it was OK if a few of us used her key to go up on the roof of the highest building and watch fireworks. He told her, “Just make sure I don’t know about it.” So we went. Unfortunately, a high building blocked our view, but it was a nice party anyway.
The lunch with family was nice too. We had 16 people total, and I took two dozen ears of corn and all but one got eaten, so it must have been the perfect amount. We also had quarter-pound, footlong hot dogs, lemonade, and a bunch of side dishes, and watermelon. Then people made s’mores and I toasted a couple of marshmallows (I like the ingredients to s’mores better than s’mores), and people played various outdoor games while the two little girls played in the wading pool. A nice way to spend an afternoon.
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We ventured into town to buy a new running backpack for the husband….we were going to grab a bite of breakfast at the Over Easy but it was closed. As we were walking back to the car, some friends were driving through the parking lot as they discovered the restaurant was closed as well! We all went across the lot to Panera Bread and had a delightful surprise meet up….so fun! We stopped in at Trader Joes before heading home…I now have some very lovely flowers strewn around the house thanks to our stop at TJ’s….love that place! Now we will grill ribs and have a short walk afterwards…nice relaxing 4th…
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Happy 4th, All!
I still boxing books today. I have sent some photos to AJ. My holiday travels involve going back and forth from son’s closet to the boxes. Better than a treadmill since I can vary the path if I want to take the one less traveled by! At least I am feeling productive. 🙂
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Nancy Jill, I’m baking ribs tonight. Fresh Thyme had boneless pork ribs for $1.27 / pound, and that’s such a deal that I can afford to take a main dish to our church dinner. But I’m cooking a really big batch (about 10 pounds) and I’ll fill a CrockPot for church and then put the rest back into the fridge for supper Monday night and maybe a lunch or two after that. I’m not used to cooking meat in that sort of quantity, but I’ve made pork ribs often and they’re easy (just time-consuming), so I thought I might as well. (I left one package in the freezer for another time.)
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Spent the day with John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
Someone in the audience asked what they thought of the recent Supreme Court decisions.
They, of course, punted.
“I think that all marriages should be happy and gay!” declared Adams.
Next question?
This has been an odd Fourth of July for me, I’ll admit, being reminded of the nation’s spirited and principled beginnings.
I keep thinking, What happened?
240 years happened, I guess, and here we are.
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We had a nice visit with my parents, and they were in good spirits.
It’s not a long journey to their house — under an hour — but we saw a few different license plates of other travelers that we don’t often see. Other than the usual Midwestern plates that are very or fairly common around here, today we also saw travelers from Georgia, Colorado, and two other cars from states whose plates I didn’t recognize and couldn’t read.
And a semi from Salem, Oregon.
None from Canada today, though occasionally we do see those, too.
I thought of Janice and NancyJill when I saw their states’ plates. 🙂
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I am at the office now and have almost filled all the book shelves with son’s books. I think I have moved 17 boxes of books (Banker’s box size) and 3 boxes of
CDs. Of course doing all this has kept me from other work I need to be doing. I found two unopened packs of XL twin sheets for a college dorm room. I will donate those unless I think of a college student to give them to. Anyone here need them? I think they are white and navy.
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I love that flag picture! I hope some of you are getting to see the fireworks tonight. We may see some along the way home. I don’t want to get in the crowds. We are not too far away from Lenox Square which has a gigantic display. Also Stone Mountain is not far away. Not sure if there are any down south of Atl. near the office. Guess I will find out unless we leave soon, before dark.
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+home in bed caching up with you and watching tv
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Nothing newsworthy going on (yet) according to our 10 local city and county cop/sheriff’s stations, so I took the dogs for a quick dog park visit. One of the regulars arrived without his dog, Hank, saying the dog jumped out of his car window at the sound of firecrackers — so he and another guy took off to try to find him. 😦
Hank is a hunting dog who became gun-shy so fireworks and he don’t mix.
Fireworks are illegal in the city of LA but that doesn’t stop everyone (almost) from shooting them off in the streets.
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Another good piece (long but worth reading) by Russell D. Moore:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2015/july-web-exclusives/farewell-cultural-christianity.html
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… Those who identify with Christianity, and who gather with the people of God, have already decided to walk out of step with the culture. These Christians have already embraced strangeness by spending Sunday morning at church rather than at brunch. …
Those who wanted an almost-gospel will find that they don’t need it to thrive in American culture. As a matter of fact, cultural Christianity is herded out by natural selection. That sort of nominal religion, when bearing the burden of the embarrassment of a controversial Bible, is no more equipped to survive in a secularizing America than a declawed cat released in the wild. Who then is left behind? It will be those defined not by a Christian America but by a Christian gospel.
To understand why this leads to greater engagement rather than to lesser engagement, we must understand what the slow-motion collapse of the Bible Belt is about in the first place. This changes not just the number of unbelievers, but the way that believers themselves think and relate to the outside culture. ….
Older generations could assume that the culture resonated with the same “values” and “principles.” They could assume that the culture wanted to conserve their “Judeo-Christian heritage.” Increasingly, the culture doesn’t see Christianity as the “real America.” If Christianity is a means to American values, America can get by without it, because America is learning to value other things. ….
In the 1920s, J. Gresham Machen warned the church his book Christianity and Liberalism not only that bartering away orthodoxy wouldn’t gain the church cultural credibility, but also that the great danger for the church is to see Christianity as a means to some other end. Christianity does indeed build stronger families, he argued, and it does indeed provide an alternative to Marxist ideologies. But if Christianity is embraced as a way to build strong families or assimilate people into American values or fight Communism, it is no longer Christianity but an entirely other religion, one he called “liberalism.” ….
As American culture changes, the scandal of Christianity is increasingly right up front, exactly where it was in the first century. The shaking of American culture will get us back to the question Jesus asked his disciples at Caesarea Philippi: “Who do you say that I am?” As the Bible Belt recedes, those left standing up for Jesus will be those who, like Simon Peter of old, know how to answer that question.
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Kim – Yesterday, I think it was, you mentioned your grandmother going to an Assembly of God church that preached against make-up. Thought you might like to know that things have changed quite a bit since then. Make-up is allowed, & women wear pants! (I’m just guessing that women weren’t allowed to wear pants back then.)
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Donna – I hope they find Hank.
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We got home and could not find Miss Bosley anywhere. Finally with a flashlight I found her under a bed. She was frightened by fireworks. Many noises all around us in the neighborhood. I felt badly when I realized she was afraid. Live and learn.
Just saw on tv the Coney Island hotdog champ. He ate 62. That about makes me barf!
Miss Bosley is settling down now. Well, i spoke too soon. Another round of booms sent her running.
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I had Cowboy squished on the love seat next to me, trembling, and Tess crowded in a space at my feet.
Then they switched places. Cowboy at my feet and Tess next to me on the furniture.
Poor doggies.
Annie is in the house somewhere, but I haven’t seen her for a while. …
Probably didn’t help that I was watching a scary movie, too — The Mist. Creepy and a depressing ending.
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Karen @ 10:12
I mentioned before that my parents belonged to the Church of God, Cleveland, Tenn. (There is another Church of God in Indiana, I believe. I don’t know about them.)
They didn’t permit makeup, jewelry,, women wearing pants, etc. But before my mother died
in 1997, that was permitted.
In interesting thing always amused me. They didn’t allow women to rule over men. That is scriptural BTW. The Church in North Charleston had a woman pastor. She could preach but couldn’t attend business meetings.
I attended church with my parents when I was at home. I preached a sermon in their church one evening. I was in college at the time.
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It’s interesting how the various exhort women to modesty. Paul is pretty specific. Islam goes to ridiculous and often painful extremes. One of the things Lottie Moon did when she went to China was to work against the binding of girl’s feet.
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Karen, I am aware that the Assemblies of God have become more lenient. Even my grandmother started wearing a little powder and rouge.
I am not sure which church it is, but there are some people around that the females wear dresses or long skirts. They have long hair and wear no make up.
I obviously do. not follow that doctrine.
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Kim, you’d upset the cart in that bunch, that’s for sure. 🙂 You’d have them all wearing tasteful (but sleeveless) summer linen dresses and fashionable pumps in no time.
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“Those blasted Presbyterians” — Interesting read
http://donsweeting.com/2014/07/04/those-blasted-presbyterians-reflections-on-independence-day/
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…. Horace Walpole spoke from the English House of Commons to report on these “extraordinary proceedings” in the colonies of the new world. “There is no good crying about the matter,” he said. “Cousin America has run off with the Presbyterian parson, and that is the end of it.”
The parson of which he spoke, was John Witherspoon—a Presbyterian minister, as well as a descendant of John Knox. At the time, Witherspoon was president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton). He was also the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence.
From the English perspective, the American revolution was often perceived as a “Presbyterian Rebellion.” And its supporters were often disdained as “those blasted Presbyterians.” ….
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Sorry, I’m on a roll. And there’s a lot of good stuff out there this weekend.
http://www.nationalreview.com/Americans-liberty-unearned-blessing-from-god
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… We have freedom of religion because our forefathers were Puritan fanatics, not in spite of the fact. Consider the mind of Thomas Paine: Even our anti-ecclesiasticals are evangelical. Paine’s character dominates that of the modern American atheist, who burns with a holy fervor unknown to the milquetoast Sunday-morning Christian. Ultimately, we Americans are not a blood; we are a creed. ….
…. To be an American is to know a blessing that none of us has earned or merited, to have liberty not because we deserve it but because of who we are — endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable rights. None of us has earned that liberty, but we do have the opportunity — and it is precious — to live up to it. …
… We have now seen 239 years of liberty and prosperity unprecedented in all of human history, a longer span of time than that which separated the Year of the Six Emperors from the fall of the Roman empire. Call it the historical version of a lucky break? No. Call it amazing grace. Glory, glory, hallelujah.
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I am back at the office since we left husband’s car here last night.Thank goodness I have some aspirin with me because my shoulder is hurting. I think all those boxes of books did it. I already got rid of one bookcase which we took to the church this morning.
Our mission team was back so the church seemed more back to normal although it is not quite the same without the worship leader who left. The pastor’s sermon was really excellent this morning as he covered the passage in Luke about the cost of being a disciple. I did make a $25 donation to help cover the costs of those black churches that have burned. I saw that the SBC has set up a fund to help. It was not mentioned at the church this morning so I hope my donation will be able to be sent to the right folks.
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Jennifer is our youngest GD.
Jennifer is a high school librarian.
Jennifer and husband came to Asheville today.
We arranged to meet them halfway, in Arden. I took them to dinner at the Olive Garden.
During the conversation, Jennifer said their library had edited versions of GWTW and Huckelberry Finn.
I didn’t know that.
I wonder what Mark Twain would think?
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Edited? Edited? You mean censored!
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She said, “the edited version”.
We know what she meant.
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Kim – I figured you knew we’re allowed to wear make-up now. 🙂
My first pastor (not my recent former pastor whom I had some trouble with) often talked about the church he was saved in as a young teen. His family did not go to church, but he was invited by a church member who often saw him walking on the road. He said that they were what we would call very legalistic, but they were also very loving. He was a diamond-in-the-very-rough, but they loved him & gently discipled him. He was grateful for that church, even with all the legalism.
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The “edited” version means the PC police took out the “objectionable” material. In other words, as Kim said, they censored it.
A few years ago, some college professor in Georgia (a white guy), wanted to publish (and maybe did) a version of Huck Finn with the word “slave” used in place of n*r. Ironically it was some blacks that protested. One said slave was a more offensive word. Another said he wanted people to see what it was like back in the 1800s. They had no problem leaving the word in there, because it was not used in as offensive a way as it is now-a-days. And if Mark Twain had been alive, he would have said (as several people who visit the Mark Twain Cave say) “That’s how people talked in those days.”
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