Happy 4th to you all!

[usmc0353]

Just wanted to say thank you to all our young men and women serving today all over the world. Also, thanks to all you old F**ts like me who srved in the past and continue to keep our traditions and values going today.

Happy Independence Day!!

Semper Fi!!

[thedrifter]

Happy 4th to All

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL


O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain America! America! God shed your grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.
O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities glean Undimmed by human tears America! America! God shed your grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Patriotism Isn't Just Red, White and Blue
Dana Parsons

July 1, 2005

I asked a friend what she was doing for the Fourth, and she replied, "The same thing we always do, the parade in Huntington Beach."

She and her husband don't have young children, so they're not going for the kids. They just love a parade and, presumably, their country. I should have pressed on whether they go to celebrate the country's birthday or because they like to stand in the sun and watch people passing slowly by in cars.

Had she asked me what I'd be doing on the Fourth, I would have said, "The same thing I always do — nothing."

I haven't gone to a Fourth of July parade in more than 30 years, and that last one I went to only because my newspaper assigned me to cover it.

Nor would I fly an American flag outside my door or wear one on my lapel. I'd sooner wear stripes with plaids.

Now, before you start shaking your head and pounding the words "liberal elitist jackanapes" in an e-mail, please factor in that I consider myself a patriot. I don't walk around saying, "I love my country," but would I get weepy when they play the national anthem at the Olympics if I didn't? Would I just have slogged through 650 pages of John Adams' biography if I didn't love my country's heritage?

So, here's my question: Why do some of us make a point of going to a patriotic parade and flying a flag outside our homes, and others don't?

I'd pontificate, but I don't have a good feel for the reasons. I don't know if it relates to varying psychological profiles in people or, merely, a reflection in degrees of patriotism. Are there degrees of patriotism? It seems to me that you either are patriotic or you aren't. A "Somewhat Patriotic" category sounds silly. Why, then, the disparity in patriotic behaviors?

Help me out. In this most conspicuously American period of the calendar year, why are some of you flag-wavers and some not? Why will some of you stand under a hot sun and watch a Fourth of July parade, and others consider it a pointless way to spend a couple hours?

For my poll, those of you who support the overthrow of the U.S. government need not respond; your reasons would be obvious. Only patriots need apply.

To me, the subject is interesting even in a vacuum. But it just so happens that the U.S. Senate will be considering sometime soon whether the Constitution should be amended to make desecrating the flag unconstitutional. The House, by a 286-130 vote, already has said yes to the question.

I admit to being a mass of contradictions on the subject. I wouldn't vote for the constitutional amendment, nor do I support criminal punishments for people who desecrate the flag. On the other hand, it riles me when I see people — Americans or otherwise — doing just that.

But while some of my fellow Americans would want to beat the tar out of someone who'd burn the flag, I wouldn't. I'd dislike the deed and, who knows, might even do something to stop it, but it wouldn't foment rage inside of me.

But I understand perfectly the emotion in those who would rage.

Would I be serving my country if I waded into an angry mob of flag-burners and tried to stop them from disrespecting Old Glory? That's a toughie, but perhaps out of some twisted thinking, I find myself wondering what President Bush, who does wear a flag lapel, would do in that situation.

I'm unclear from the Adams biography what he would have done, either. Nor can I be sure whether he or Thomas Paine or Thomas Jefferson would have worn an American flag lapel. Or, whether they would have supported the amendment. Obviously, they didn't think to argue for it at the time.

This is perhaps much ado about nothing, but if a guy can't opine about the flag and Fourth of July parades on this weekend, when can he?

Anyway, just thinking out loud.

That's still constitutional, isn't it?

Ellie

[thedrifter]

The Founders' Cornerstones -- Independence Day
The Federalist Patriot

In this modern age, when we commemorate the 229th birthday of these United States, we may recite the rightness of our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain: "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."

Less often, though, do we ponder how the Founders of our nation came to this understanding of legitimacy in government.

The magnificent document from which the above passage is taken defines the basis of our Republic, but whence arose the ideas that impelled the Founders to set our nation off on the path of separation from rule by the kings of England? These precepts are a distillation of the free English laws in which the American colonists were schooled before setting foot on this land, where the colonial Americans became steeped in the experience of life in conditions of freedom. Thus, the cornerstones on which the Founders built our new country were religious liberty, sanctity of personal property, practical exercise of freedom in daily living, and necessity of self-government. These were laid deeply in the manners and principles by which the earliest American colonial settlers made their way in the New World, during the century before the Founders concluded that we must embark on a course of nationhood.

John Winthrop, aboard the ship Arbella lying off the shore of Massachusetts, wrote in 1630: "For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God, and all professors for God's sake. We shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going. ... Therefore let us choose life, that we and our seed may live, by obeying His voice and cleaving to Him, for He is our life and our prosperity." (Ronald Reagan often cited Winthrop's image of a "city upon a hill" as inspiration for his revival of fidelity to our Founding beliefs 350 years later.)

Consider Roger Williams, repeatedly hounded out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the mid-1600s, and who then founded Rhode Island as a sanctuary protecting religious liberty, freedom of conscience, and defending property rights. Similarly, the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, in 1682 presaged the ideals in the Declaration of Independence: "Men being born with a title to perfect freedom and uncontrolled enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature...no one can be put out of his estate and subjected to the political view of another, without his consent." Having traversed the sea to find religious liberty, the colonial Americans discovered that freedom in all aspects of life best supports the exercise of free conscience in religion and morality.

Hence, the colonists felt the profound injustice of the British king's deviation from adherence to the laws underpinning his reign, which led to the break in 1776. As the Founders noted, "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."

A major portion of the Declaration of Independence then lists the bill of particulars, 27 indictments of King George's faithlessness toward British laws. Reading these charges today, especially in light of the Supreme Court's assault in recent weeks on the U.S. Constitution -- the document that implements the Declaration's principles in practical government -- we should wonder, are we indeed the heirs of our Founding generation? For at least seven of the indictments are suspiciously aligned with allegations we could, and perhaps should, lay against our U.S. courts.

The Founders wrote, "He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good." And: "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." Could these charges not as readily apply to U.S. judges striking down laws the people believe to be "most wholesome and necessary for the public good" -- such as laws reserving marriage for one wife and one husband, keeping public treasury money for citizens only, and preserving religious freedoms?

The Founders further criticized the King, noting, "He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people." Although more subtle and insidious, our courts have "repeatedly dissolved" the actions of our "Representative Houses" in "opposing with manly firmness" the judiciary's "invasions on the rights of the people."

Consider this charge: "He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance." Could this not as easily describe the Supreme Court's decision permitting governments to take the private property of one citizen and bestow it on another who is expected to pay more taxes?

Our Supreme Court justices have even cited foreign law in support of their recent rulings. The British king did likewise: "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...." Does it not follow thatwhen our judges import foreign laws to bind us, we have little recourse to resist?

Add this: "For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments...." This past week's Supreme Court decisions in regard to Kentucky and Texas governments, acting under their state charters to acknowledge God and the Ten Commandments, could be argued to have abolished their "most valuable laws" and "fundamentally altered the forms of those governments." Finally, this: "For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever." Indeed, by seizing the power to not only review laws but to create them from the bench, our courts now presume to "legislate for us in all cases whatsoever."

Are these parallels remarkable? Or does growing tyranny present the same face wherever it appears? Founder John Adams made an eloquent case for both private property ownership and public religious observance: "The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If 'Thou shalt not covet' and 'Thou shalt not steal' were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society before it can be civilized or made free."

Far too many members of the U.S. judiciary have forsaken the foundations of our freedom, but we would be remiss to neglect those among us who have remained most faithful to our Founders' legacy. For what marked the birth of our nation -- even beyond the ringing endorsement of liberty -- was the willingness of the Founders to sacrifice their personal blood, treasure and reputation on this new nation they envisioned. Indeed, they concluded their Independence Day statement, "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." Our troops arrayed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere are the legitimate philosophical descendants of these, our American Revolutionary War heroes. They are the progeny of George Washington's Continental Army, having proven themselves equally as noble, equally as willing to sacrifice. We would do well this Independence Day 2005 to ponder them, to pray for them -- and to pray that we ourselves will have the courage of purpose and strength of character to put back aright those cornerstones so carefully laid by our Founding Fathers.

Editor's Note: For an indispensable and exhaustive resource on our nation's founding and its seminal documentation, link to The Patriot's Historic Documents page. http://FederalistPatriot.US/histdocs/

Ellie

[Joseph P Carey]

Happy Birthday USA!

[thedrifter]

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcar...ode=ML24637083

Happy 4th all

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Bush Salutes Military in Radio Address
July 2, 2005, 10:09 AM EDT

WASHINGTON -- President Bush paid tribute to America's military forces Saturday, saying that Independence Day is an occasion for the nation to express thanks by flying the flag, sending letters to troops and reaching out to their families.

"At posts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world, our men and women in uniform are taking the fight to the terrorists overseas, so that we do not have to face the terrorists here at home," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

He said U.S. forces have freed millions of people from oppression, in keeping with the principle of the Declaration of Independence "that all are created equal and all are meant to be free.

"Those who serve today are taking their rightful place among the greatest generations that have worn our nation's uniform," the president said.

He will celebrate July Fourth with a visit to Morgantown, W.Va.

"In this time of testing, all our troops and their families can know that the American people are behind them," Bush said. "On this Fourth of July weekend, I ask every American to find a way to thank men and women defending our freedom -- by flying the flag, sending letters to our troops in the field, and helping the military family down the street."

He said other methods of tribute are outlined on a Pentagon Web site, http://www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
Copyright © 2005, The Associated Press

Ellie

[thedrifter]

From the Veterans Conference:
Old Soldier's Tales
July 3, 2004


I was a soldier once...

....and one of the lasting effects has been to make Independence Day a bit
more meaningful to me. 33 years ago today I was on a plane bound for the
air base in Bien Hoa, Vietnam. We took off on July 3 and about 24 hours
later, landed on July 5. That year, there was no Independence Day for me.
The international date line swallowed the 4th of July whole.

A year later, I celebrated the 4th as a civilian for the first time in
three years, and every year since, it's given me pause as I've reflected
on that trans-Pacific voyage and the events that followed. I served at a
time when the war was over for a lot of people - people who accepted
Nixon's strategy of slow withdrawal. Thousands were coming home, after
all. Still, many of us were still going over. We were the 'left overs,'
the 'clean up crew.' We were the men John Kerry was speaking for in his
famous Senate testimony, the ones who risked being among the last to die
for a war that had by then been widely recognized as a mistake.

Today, the Brilliant and Beautiful Bride of Upper Left and I journeyed
across the county to visit the traveling reproduction of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial, commonly known as The Wall. As I walked along the
panels carrying the 58,228 names of those who died in Vietnam, the black
tablets grew larger, and at the very apex, filling three of the tallest
panels, I found the names of those who died while I was in country.
Hundreds and hundreds of names. Among them the name of one of my basic
training sergeants. A case, I prayed, of mistaken identity, hoping, but
not at all certain, that there must have been another Sgt. Luis Campos,
and the gruff bear of a man that taught me to use a rifle with confidence
and a bayonet with ferocity retired comfortably without facing another
tour in Vietnam.

Whether he was my Sgt. Campos or not isn't so important, really. I was
lucky. My battalion took losses, but my company came through unscathed. I
saw bodies, but not of those I knew best, those I called friends. Still,
each of the names on that wall, and especially on those three tall, silent
panels, was more than a stranger. They were, they are, my brothers, every
one.

I missed a 4th of July in 1971. They've missed every one since. Tomorrow,
I'll put on a uniform and travel north to parade with a veteran's drill
team in a small town celebration, and come home to burn some meat and
drink some beer with my family. It's bound to be a good day. I have 58,228
reasons to celebrate, because they can't, and I owe them.

Happy 4th.

[thedrifter]

A Boring Fourth? Count yourself lucky.
Written by Gary Waltrip
Saturday, July 02, 2005

[eddief]

I'm wishing all of you a happy and safe 4th of July.

I just want to say thanks to all the patriots who have kept this country free going back to those first brave men who decided to take on an empire in the name of freedom and liberty.

[Magick23]

I know its simple but I believe it's the best way to put it....



THANKS!!!

It's not just about the Fourth Of July but every day...

Thanks!!!

[thedrifter]

Text of President Bush's July 4th Speech
By The Associated Press
Fri Jul 1, 5:56 PM ET

President Bush's July Fourth proclamation:

Since July 4, 1776, Americans have experienced freedom's power to overcome tyranny, inspire hope in times of trial, and turn the creative gifts of men and women to the pursuits of peace. Across generations, our nation has defended and advanced liberty.

The words of our Founding Fathers first guided a country of 4 million souls, yet they put large events in motion. When the Liberty Bell sounded at the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, one who witnessed the birth of freedom in our country said, "It rang as if it meant something." In our time it means something still. America continues to proclaim liberty throughout the world, and we remain a country full of hope and promise where opportunity thrives, where all stand equal before the law, and where our freedoms are celebrated.

Americans live in freedom because of the enduring power of our ideals. In the midst of World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt reminded our troops that our nation believes in the "right to liberty under God — for all peoples and races and groups and nations, everywhere in the world." Today, a new generation of Americans continues to defend our nation and spread freedom. On this Fourth of July, we honor the brave men and women of our military, and their families, and we express our gratitude for their courage, dedication to duty, and love of country.

Laura and I send our best wishes to all Americans on Independence Day. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless America.

Ellie

[Butskie51]

It's been a while since I've visit or wrote and just want to say Happy Birthday U.S.A. and to all Marines and their families.
Butskie51
Coporal Dan Fischer
3rd Combat Engineers
Okinawa Japan ( Last Post Hansen )
1982-1986

[KingDonkeyPunch]

Happy Fouth of July 2005.
From the American Embassy in Canberra, Australia
MSG Det Canberra

[OLE SARG]

Happy fourth of July to all Jarheads everywhere. Stay safe out there and continue to carry on the traditions of the U. S. Marine Corps every day.

God bless you all.

SEMPER FI,
OLE SARG