The Stovebolt Site Forums The Back Office News and Announcements Re: Happy July 4th!!

A very happy National Birthday to all our fellow Americans and those who stand with us in our 247-year grand experiment in pursuing Life, Liberty and Happiness.

Despite the darkness of these past three years, and the efforts of those bent on destroying us from within through division and hate, the Light of Liberty and Freedom, although dimmed somewhat, still shines. We are still the beacon of Liberty and Hope for a world that, previous to 1776, had never seen it quite so elegantly and completely expressed and delivered.

And though we, as a Nation, increasingly cease to deserve it, may God continue to bless and protect this great Republic of ours and keep us FREE.

And sure, we will all enjoy the holiday with gatherings, festivities or leisure activities of every kind ... Let's take a moment to remember those who gave it to us -- from the Founding Fathers to today's veterans. Better yet, let's take a few moments to actually *read* the Declaration of Independence and ponder this most powerful expression of the AMERICAN ideal. I've provided the text below.

For the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution -- Thank the Founding Fathers.
That you can read it, and understand it -- Thank your teachers
That you can still read it in English -- Thank a veteran.

And when you're done with all that ... hand me a hotdog, will ya???

Semper Fidelis!
John and Peggy

From the Constitution Center, the Declaration of Independence"



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 Brittish 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.

How's this?

Happy 4th!!

Let freedom ring! Happy Independence Day!

Nice. My usual national holiday attire and mode of transportation.

Both trucks looking good. enjoying the day. Ron and Wayne lucky to have seen both of the trucks in real life

Don hope you are enjoying 4 th of July celebrations

Yep Tim! It was a great day to stay home and BBQ. Smoked corned beef brisket. Problem was, Shep is scared of fireworks and wants to climb up in your lap!

Don

I celebrated the 4th by taking a ride down a dirt road on a 1948 Farmall Super A.

We had a grand time with the two grandsons for second part of the day. The fireworks were just across the water and were almost done by the time the big downpour hit. Not a storm tho; just rain.

Other grandkids on left coast had a chance to do tons of water balloon battles to help relieve the heat out there. Plus three water blasters. Hope they helped cool off the parents!

I am still looking for a woman like that, but not a dog.

I ate so much BBQ on Monday I had to stay in and sleep Tuesday

Happy July 4th

Happy Independence Day Y'all... Remember to take a minute and think about our Great Country. We have our issues but the United States is still the best thing going.

Today as we Stovebolters' and those that stand with us celebrate the birth of our nation, please take the time to remember all those past and present that helped create and keep alive this great nation through their blood, sweat and tears!

I hope all can celebrate with family, loved ones and friends and have a safe 4th of July!

HOOAH!

Happy independence day to all my American friends,
Enjoy

John

Happy Independence Day to all.

May we all work to keep this country the great democracy it is.

Old Glory - Long may it wave.

"Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong!”

-- Stephen Decatur

So ... building on that thought ... I hope everyone is well into the Independence Day holiday and that it isn't just a day off from work/whatever to grill, head to the water/Mountains/whatever renews you.

Yes, it is good to shoot fireworks, see a parade and do all the things we associate with Independence Day. In fact, one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams, had a vision of us doing so.

"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

-- John Adams

The thing is to remember *why.*

We *are* a great nation. We were founded on greatness (God's blessing and direction), we have been truly great and have been a beacon of hope and help to the world as no other nation has. While we are currently in a slump, we can be strong and great again if we remember our past, remember those who founded us and the divine principles upon we they founded us and continue to devote ourselves to preserving that greatness.

Remember that throughout the weekend and beyond.

Here at HQ, we fly the National Flag and the Gadsden Flag to honor the founding fathers and the principles our Nation was founded on.

Semper Fidelis!
John

Here’s my ‘54 (modified) in the local Independence Day parade, festooned with flags.

People just plain like the old trucks.

Another great day to celebrate. We've got Charlie out at the corner of State Hwy 146 and County road 138 (our property's "Barn Gate") with the American flag standing tall next to him, and the Marine Corps flag hanging at the fence.

Happy 4th everyone! Your 249 years' of being the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave brought to you (in part) by the Unites States Marine Corps.

You're welcome!



Semper Fidelis!
John

Happy Independence Day John and everyone, hope you all have a pleasant day! Regards Bobb

Happy Independence Day Stovebolters one and all! The "Colors" were posted at sunrise this morning as always and have been joined by many neighbors, including our most recent "flag pole" addition just down the street.

Hope your celebration in honor of our country and what it stands for is safe and enjoyable!

Great day for a drive!

Good to see the U.S. Navy flag flying on the flagpole.

Happy Independence Day.