Tonight, I sit here listening to the unending din of freedom's artillery outside, bathed in a constant cacophony of explosions and thundering flashes from all points of the compass, sounding for all the world like the Mother Of All Battles, artillery, bombs, missiles, machineguns, and the like. But what it actually is, is people shooting off all manner of malum prohibitum items, even in this nanniest of nanny states, and giving the minions of intrusive government b.s. full notice (and a pair of middle fingers) that they and their busybody regulations can go straight to hell when it comes to proscribing things which shoot into the air and explode on this day of days.
"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 Shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more." -
John Adams' letter to his wife Abigail, July 1776, regarding the fitting anniversary celebration of American independence
I won't entertain any twaddle or hogwash today about how dire and departed liberty and freedom are in this land. There are 364 other days of the year for folks so inclined to be Eeyore.
Eff off with that $#!^.
Listen to your elders, light some fuses, and go blow some stuff up. If only for practice.
(Besides, the true meaning of today should scare every rent-seeking tax-collecting government shitweasel into an early heart attack. Hear me, God.)
Tomorrow, you can revert to pessimism, and go back to plotting how to get what we've lost back.
But even in the worst of circumstances, a little celebration is always in order.
Our national existence itself is nothing short of a miracle, and our birth certificate, penned to occasion the nation's birth, is one of the most magnificent documents in the history of the human species.
If - and particularly so on this day - you can't wrap your head around that, and give free assent to that notion, you are alien to me, and I do not know you, nor would wish to.
Howsoever cracked the Liberty Bell may be, the echoes of its peals still thunder down through the ages.
...proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof...And now, you'll have to pardon me. It's after midnight, and I have a few things I need to go set off.
- Leviticus 25:10
Happy Birthday to the United States of America, still the greatest nation on the face of the earth!
7 comments:
Hear here!
Thank you! Thank you, most sincerely! I often tell people that I love my country, but despise my government, but today, of all days, I can put the disgust on hold, and instead, bitch about the air filters causing my allergies to act up.
Again, thank you for saying what I would like to say, were I more eloquent.
Aesop,
In my teens I worked a few blocks from Independence Hall. Back then one could just walk in and through the building, and walk right up and rap the bell with your knuckles. It was not then housed in a special building with armed guards and protective glass. I would sometimes eat my lunch on the steps right in front of the hall.
I still do not take that memory for granted.
Gray
Aesop,
Well said. The private fireworks displays which I hear and see every summer followed by the distinct lack of any response by police or otherwise is always encouraging to me.
The reading of the Declaration of Independence always brings tears my eyes.
Steve M.
Be it noted that the not-so-great state of New Jersey just legalized SOME fireworks for use by the citizenry (my wife, a life-long NJ resident, was confused by seeing fireworks for sale in Shop Rite of all places). Research showed that non-exploding, non aerial fireworks are now permitted by our betters (meaning sparklers, fountains, etc are permitted but firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles are still verboten). Seems the law was signed about two weeks ago, important stuff considering the state parks and beaches were closed on July 4th weekend because the budget hadn't passed.
Oddly, I heard a large number of exploding and/or aerial fireworks going off last night too.....
Mark D
Same here, Mark.
Most of the county here was "no fireworks whatsoever" s couple of years ago.
The cities that allowed the ground stuff raked in cash, and pissed off the cities that didn't.
So, finally seeing sense, almost all the cities allow fireworks sales (and blessed taxation of sales of same).
But last night, from dusk to after midnight, the aerial display of things far beyond what is legal (yet is readily available in Mexico, a couple of hours south) was a 360-degree nonstop aerial orgy of light and sound, surpassing anyone but Disneyland in both duration and intensity.
IOW, exactly what was intended, before the nanny busybodies took over: liberty.
We don't even need to go to another country (unless you count Pennsylvania as another country). Right over the border are fireworks stands, and the first question you're asked if if you're a PA resident. If you are, you're shown to a room with all the PA-legal stuff. If not, you're shown to a MUCH larger room with stuff which is illegal in PA (and also in NY, and NJ, but no one in PA cares). Of course the cops watch for cars leaving such stands and heading back to NJ, pulling them over as soon as they cross the line to search for contraband, so best NOT to make your purchases within sight of the border.
Mark D
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