ID4 happens on “hump day” this year, so some of you will have just one day off work while others will have today plus the rest of the week, (lucky buggers), while some still have, or want, to work the holiday. Life in the U.S. — opportunity and choices galore!

Thought I’d share my workstation wallpaper with all you folks. I picked this when our troops went into Afghanistan, and keep it as a daily reminder of those that are fighting and bleeding and dying on my behalf. Every time I minimize the windows I get to see this in all its stunning visual impact and often I am humbled.

In my daily email from Mark Tapscott, editorial page editor for The Washington Examiner, he says, “In today’s Examiner, contributor David Kerr reminds us that even the weather changed when the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1776.” I found that idea quite intriguing and just had to follow the link. Kerr makes some interesting observations there:

Philadelphia was unusually hot during the summer of 1776. The temperature was in the 90s and the humidity was oppressive. Unlike today, there was no air conditioning, no iced drinks, and no relief from the heat for the members of a fledgling, somewhat disorganized and contentious body called the Continental Congress.

During this period, as disorganized as they may have seemed and surrounded by the punishing summertime heat, the Continental Congress did something that changed the course of human history. However, that wasn’t their original intent.

Funny how that seems to happen. Kinda makes ya wonder if all the Dick Durbans, Nancy Pelosis, Harry Reids and Hillarys of their time were sayin’, “Whoa! Hold on now, declaring independence wasn’t what you started out to do. You’re off course! You’ve compromised your mission! You’ve flip-flopped we say, flip-flopped . . . damn your hides!” Well, there may have been naysayers, I’m sure there were — but gettin’ in someone’s face, or in their way, back then could get you a knuckle sandwich, a slap up the side of your head with the 18th-Century equivalent of a tire tool, or a challenge to a duel. Bluster and hot air had to be backed up back then. Those that were carving out a new republic weren’t a bunch of sophomoric sycophants gorging themselves at the public trough via their spinmeister’s ability to convince Joe Bow to “send ‘em to Washington”! But, back to Kerr.

The Declaration of Independence was a lot more than just a case for independence. It also stated certain assumptions. It said that we as individuals did not obtain our rights from any government, from any crown or any representative of man. These rights were given by God. It stated clearly that the government should exist only through the consent of the governed, with its sole purpose to promote common objectives and support the freedom of individuals.

From the looks of things, we’ve gone a bit off course if Kerr’s assessment of the republic’s “sole purpose” is correct. But times do indeed change, and we as a people have had to change with them. It’s to the credit of the Founding Fathers that they bequeathed to us such a remarkable system, with a Constitution that is both possible, but very hard, to amend. When we’ve truly needed to do so, as a people, we have. They were also wise in making this a democratic republic, instead of a true democracy — a distinction that many simply do not, or cannot, seem to grasp. For my take on it, one of the worst decisions was making the Senate a directly elected body same as the House of Representatives. The original intent was to have the Senate representing the interest of the states as governmental bodies, not another popularly-elected dog to be grabbed by the tail and wagged by John Q. Voter. Thar be danger, me hardies, in too much democracy an’ too little republic!

It’s easy in our comfortable 21st-century existence to overlook just how momentous this act was or the risk that followed every member of the Continental Congress from that point on. America was made up of 13 British colonies, and these individuals, this small group of men were leaders in treason. Many would, at various times, be on the run, lose their property, and always be at risk of being captured and executed.

Can you imagine even one of our currently-serving Congressional “leaders” living up to that? Please . . . if so, tell me who. I would truly be happy to know. There must be many in the elected bodies, just waiting their chance at gaining leadership status. Throughout our history great leaders have been forged via military service and combat. I see wonderful possibilities as the veterans of the war against Islamic radicalism get elected to public office and rise in seniority status to committee head positions. It won’t be the same-ol’, same- ol’ Congress then, that’s for sure.

Have a great Fourth-of-July folks! Eat lots, drink responsibly if at all, enjoy friends and freedom — and thank the good Lord above that we live in, as Michael Medved likes to say, “The Greatest Nation on God’s Green Earth!” And, be sure and give a prayer for those that are out there, even today, making sure it stays that way . . .

‘Okie’

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 at 9:08 am and is filed under Odds & Ends, We Are US. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  |   Print This Post  |   Email This Post

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