crazylibertarian Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island

The Fourth of July - what's to celebrate?

When we declared our independence from Britain, the King had raised our taxes to the outrageous level of an estimated 2-3% of our Gross Domestic Product.

Can anyone seriously maintain that we are better off today?

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Kevyn

You have the privilege of living in the greatest nation in the world and yet all you do is piss and moan about how you are getting screwed, why do you h**e the United States of America? you should be ashamed of yourself.

crazylibertarian Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island

I accept that we have been the greatest nation on the face of the earth & throughout history but our reason for being so great is our freedom, which includes our financial freedom, which, in case you hadn't noticed, is rapidly evaporating. And you didn't address my point.

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c.murray132

We can celebrate that we used to be free.

Kevyn

Explain exactly how what freedom you have lost, perhaps it is the thirty second amendment which precludes regulation of health insurance or the forty third that gives you the right to abuse gay people. The only freedom you lost was with the signing into law of the so called Patriot Act by Bush, and that was all hunky-dory with you right wing nutters until Obama quit allowing the torture of prisoners.

fullsailale Loc: washington

obviously you have no clue. travel the world and come back and tell me who has it the worst. you cant do that sitting on your ass never leaving the house. america may be having a bad time right now but it is still the best thing going in the world.

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

The difference is, people then stood up and said they would no longer allow a body of i***ts, decide the course of... no that's the same now with the i***ts in Congress, instead of a parliament.

Ok, try this; the people then decided that being taxed out the wahzoo, without representation...... no, that's pretty much the case now too.

Oh, here we go! Back then, the people had NO voice at all, in how the country was run - now they do - should they chose to exercise that right. Our ancestors grew tired of being told what to do, what to pay and how often, without a voice in the proceedings. Today, we have a voice.

The fact that many things are not as they should be, is NOT the fault of the country, or our ancestors lack of foresight. That fault lies with our parents - and ourselves, for NOT exercising the very rights that our ancestors fought and died for. That is the right to v**e, the right to speak out - and the right to force the Government to do our will. We got lazy, apathetic, disorganized, distracted, busy, selfish, self centered and childish - and let a handful of others do as the pleased - and screw things up.

We can CHANGE that, because this is America and we have that power. It's time to do so. Are you in?

oldroy Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)

The i***ts in Congress? Yep, they are in charge and allowing some other i***ts to call the shots for them. Can we actually change anything that we may want changed with that bunch running things. I have read so many things today about things that should not be, like forcing cake bakers out of business if they refuse to bake for certain people. Are we really better off today than back then? I don't think so.

crazylibertarian Loc: Florida by way of New York & Rhode Island

I've been working at it all along there, lpnmajor, but as Thomas Jefferson wrote in The Declaration, people are more apt to suffer a long train of abuses before they arise to shake them off. I doubt whether anything can or will be done.

reconreb Loc: America / Inglis Fla.

Major, I'm in, God bless the only nation founded on freedom, we may at some point have to refresh the tree of liberty!!

oldroy Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)

But Jefferson said that refreshing would have to be done by blood and most people don't want that to happen. I, however, agree with him on this subject.

fullsailale Loc: washington

you are absolutely right about this country being hesitant to refresh this gov. so they will hold out till the last min. and of course then its too late. and it all happens anyway whether we like it or not.

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Please quote verbatim the 32nd amendment and the 43rd amendment.

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

And now tax revenue is 10.6% of our GDP. Our debt gap now stands at an astronomical $210 TRILLION. A quick look at the National Debt Clock should shock anyone with a brain. Across the board, everything is increasing.

Economics 101: raising taxes NEVER raises revenue flowing to the government. Just the opposite. Why? Consumer spending and investment decreases exponentially, business expansion and investment either stops or decreases, unemployment increases, businesses close, government spending increases, all of which reduce the tax revenue. So, the government fools increase taxes thinking this will solve the problem. Only makes it worse. It is a vicious cycle that always ends in economic disaster.

Now, as for our 4th of July celebration. For a town of 1300 people we did it up right. One of the best we've had in years. 6 am cannon salute, firefighters served breakfast in the park, parade, live music, afternoon cookouts, firefighters water fights for the kids, and over a hundred thousand bucks worth of fireworks.

I did an impromptu and unoffical survey of youngsters 15 to 25. Wrote it all down.

Sampling of the Q & A

Me to James (25 year old): "Why do we celebrate the 4th of July."

James: "Americans love holidays, the more holidays the merrier. Just kidding, it is to celebrate our Independence."

Me: "When did that happen?"

James: "With the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776."

Me to John-Cody (18 years): "Why do we celebrate the 4th of July"?

John-Cody: "It's Independence day, dude."

Me: "When did we gain our Independence"?

John-Cody: (thinking) "Was it at the Tea Party in Boston?"

Me: "No, that was a few years earlier. In 1773."

John-Cody: "Oh yeah, 1776."

Me: "What happened then that established our independence"?

John-Cody: "Some guys signed a declaration."

Me to Melissa (16 years old): "Why do we celebrate the 4th of July"?

Melissa: "We're celebrating Independence Day. You know, when those men, our founders, told England to shove it."

Me: "That's good, Melissa. How did those men do that?"

Melissa: They signed something, like a document or something."

Me: "Does that document have a title"?

Melissa: "Yeah, it's a declaration."

Me: "Of independence"?

Melissa: "Yeah, that's it"

Me to Carol (15 years old): "Why do we celebrate the 4th of July"?

Carol: "Fireworks are cool. Everything is fun on the 4th."

Me: "Yes, but why do we do this just once a year? On, like the 4th of July"?

Carol: "Cuz that's when we started a war with England and kicked their butts." :mrgreen:

Now we have another King, but this time he is in the WH. Maybe it is time to kick some more butt.

Might be well to point out that 75% of this town's citizens are either serving or are veterans. There was so much Red, White, and Blue at the park today it was dang near blinding.

rebob14

As do I!!