Would you do it?

"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."

      It was 234 years ago. The American Revolution was a little over a year old. The first shot ("the shot heard round the world") had been fired on April 19, 1775 at the bridge at Lexington-Concord in Massachusetts, after Paul Revere's famous "midnight ride" to warn the minutemen that the British were coming. The colonists would subsequently suffer several defeats including the battle of Bunker Hill (One of the bloodiest battles of the war).
      It's July 4, 1776, 56 men are gathered in a room in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. What came out of that room was something that will always attest to mankind's yearning to be free of tyranny. All 56 of them signed the Declaration of Independence (one of the greatest documents in human history), and the United States of America was born. The following link explains what happened to those men in the years that followed. While there are some questions about some of the minor details, the story is true.

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/read.FoundersFates.html

       How many of the people in this country today, including the ones who complain about how bad things are right now, would even contemplate doing something similar to what those giants among men did? Not many, unfortunately, but you can count me as one who would! Most people today don't have a clue as to what real hardship is.

The Declaration ended with this statement:

"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."

And they did!!


      As a gentleman by the name of Patrick Henry declared at the end of a fiery speech on March 23, 1775, at a meeting of Virginia's delegates to the First Continental Congress -

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Count me in!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t1-11x07BA

Happy Birthday, America! (We'll have you back from the brink shortly.)