Of
those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of
wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned,
in each case with brutal treatment. Several lost wives, sons or entire
families. One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated.
All were at one time or another the victims of manhunts and driven from
their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned.
Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back
on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so
much to create is still intact.
The
56 signers of the Declaration Of Independence proved by their every
deed that they made no idle boast when they composed the most
magnificent curtain line in history. "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."
The above is from "OUR LIVES, OUR FORTUNES, OUR SACRED HONOR" by Rush Limbaugh, Jr. It's a "must read" for anyone who claims to be a patriot. See RUSHLIMBAUGH.COM.
After more than 200 years, does the true spirit of "our lives, our fortunes, & our sacred honor" yet dwell in the hearts of most Americans? I believe it does. Men can be silenced but spirit is eternal.
As of this date, there are 1440 of those ignorant, flag saluting, not for family viewing, confused, angry, National Anthem singing, poorly attended, racist, AstroTurf, right-wing extremist Tea Parties scheduled for July 4, 2009.
If you actually attend one of these, be very careful. Some of the folks in attendance will be active-duty military, veterans, police officers, Bible readers, Ron Paul bumper-sticker collectors, NRA members, children under 5 years of age, mothers, grandmothers, and on & on.
And DO DRESS FOR THE OCCASION!!! Official Big Brother "representatives" will be filming, taking photos & asking stupid questions.
National defense? Are we vulnerable? Don't worry about it. Obama is sending 1500 UNARMED National Guard troops to the Mexican border which is a sure sign that he's really, really serious about defense & the "situation" down there.
Actually, you can bet your last TARPed/stimulated/unemployed dollar that the current administration will prove to be just as serious or more serious about national defense than previous Democrat administrations. Translation: they'll be slashing & trashing every weapons program that they can slash & trash &, if we (somehow) manage to survive, future administrations will devote years/decades to rebuilding the military.
For info about the latest "slash & trash", see D.C. Dogfight Looms Over Stealth Jets at WIRED.COM.