For the first time in my long life (thanks to the doctors at Mass. General Brigham Hospital) I am not celebrating today. Those who read this blog will understand.
I will go to listen to the reading of the Declaration of Independence by a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery at the Old State House, where it has been read to the citizens of Boston since July 18, 1776:
On July 4th in Boston, the Declaration of Independence is traditionally read from the balcony of the Old State House by the Captain Commanding of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. This event is a key part of the city's Independence Day celebrations, which also include a parade and wreath-laying ceremony. The tradition dates back to July 18, 1776, when Colonel Thomas Crafts, a member of the Company, first read the document.
8 comments:
Nice post. Maybe you should also visit their "less ancient" cousins.as well.
See you on Shooters Hill! ;)
Happy 4th!
There is no celebration in me on this day of 2025. What this day actually and truly represents has been, and continues to be, spat upon by the FOTUS and his party.
Ah, freedom!
We have a corrupt and treasonous Supreme Court abetting a criminal tyrant.
We are building a police state with concentration camps while those under Meanwhile those living under King Charles have healthcare and the rule of law.
We showed them!
USA! USA!
A patriotic reminder.
We have a corrupt and treasonous Supreme Court abetting a criminal tyrant.
We're building a police state with concentration camps.
Meanwhile those living under King Charles have healthcare and the rule of law.
We showed them!
USA! USA!
July 4, Sept 11 and Jan 6 - each of different significance.
I watch. People, trends and life in both the US and Mexico. Politics is politics is politics. It's messy, filled with lies, obfuscations and self interest. As it always has been.
We owned people for cryin' out loud. We killed more than half a million of our own brothers, sisters and fellow countrymen. We slaughtered almost an entire people group, stood by way too long when we could have helped another and are currently burning up the third rock from the sun at a pace no one could have predicted 50 years ago.
But we've also done a lot of good, both here and abroad.
What worries me most right now is our lack of charity and our lack of manners.
Sociologist Tony Campolo once looked at the difference between the Brits and the Germans prior to WWII. What was it he wondered, that drove those two similar peoples to live such divergent lives in the 30s and 40s?
He settled on charity and manners.
The Brits he would say were no lovers of the Jews back then either. But they could not envision a "solution" like the one the Germans embraced because they were people of charity and manners.
Those two values, even in our worst days, always had currency here. Both communally and individually. We still see them from friends, and even sometimes from foes if we've known them.
But I fear our collective spirit of charity and manners has been shattered.
If I'm right, the spirit of hope that birthed our nation may soon be extinguished.
We are independent from England. That will not change, just as Mexico's independence from Spain will never change. We are here, at this moment because of the sacrifices made by men and women generations ago.
The Fourth of July, 2025.
Maybe we are in another pre-revival stage of our constant remaking. I'm not sure. But what I am sure of is this...
We won't make it through to the other side this time without a huge helping of manners and a side of charity.
Direct from the Declaration of Independence of the nascent United States of America come two of the grievances our founding fathers had with King George III of England, our ruler before we gained our independence.
-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.
-For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us
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