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Today on Fox News we were happy to see the interview with my husband's great uncle Frank Woodruff Buckles, age
107. He is the last living WW1 vet. He is very dear to us and it is unbelieveable that he is the brother of my husband's
grandfather and my children's great grandfather. Frank Woodruff Buckles. During WW2 he was captured as a civilian
in the Philipines and imprisoned. He lived through the death march by the Japanese. We spent many hours when he
was around 90 listening to his stories when we visited him in West Virginia. He got me started on a hobby in
Genealogy since he traced my husbands family back to the Mayflower. My children are Americans through and
through. We were surprised to see his picture with the President as we didn't realize he had visited with him.
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When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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 to 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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:
For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy of the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levey war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. 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.
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In the spirit of July 4, I thought it would be interesting to explore the idea of the United States retaining its influence in the 21st century.
What many see is dire. Beyond the anti-war types’ opposition to the War on Terror, there are corrupt institutions, political and corporate, impeding progress on so many things, from innovations to ways society can function more progressively. The same institutions have led to a financial crisis. Economic management has led to a weak dollar, to the point where some reject it for the euro.
So with the rise of India, and less so of Red China, where is the United States in all of this? How can I be so bold as to say it will remain the American century?
Because of Americans. Individuals. Those who have access to their own speaking platforms, highlighting what they see is wrong with their country, and having a nation that protects their free speech as sacrosanct.
The country that has championed individuality may well be saved, karmically, by individuals themselves.
No anti-American I know stands firmly in his or her country and disses individual Americans. They spit their venom at the government or their corporations. The Iranian blogs that I visited, to see where their root cause of anti-Americanism lay, targeted abuse through globalization. Maybe they have a point, because Americans themselves are not too happy about outsourcing.
And because many Americans have the skills to put their words across, in what remains the internet’s lingua franca—English—and because they can identify the sources of their problems, they can address them.
What we, in the rest of the world should be doing, is engaging this dialogue. Putting forth our point of view.
It’s frightfully easy for people to either have a case of nation envy or tall poppies, dragging down the richest country on earth and pointing out its problems for a short-term feeling of superiority. This is childish at best. While I do not deny the US has its faults—and Americans themselves would be the first to admit that—we should give each other perspective.
I talk about our healthcare system: not the best in the world, but I would rather be sick here than in the US, because of universal coverage. And if we chat to our friends in the US about this, it will give them ideas on how they might accomplish it—or avoid it, if they see faults in our model. The idea of the internet is a beautiful one, even if spammers and pornographers threaten its sanctity: the ability to have a small world where we can have one-on-one discourses, and better ourselves.
That free speech has to be defended at all costs, because even if the United States restricts the movement of people and the movement of capital, it needs to at least allow the movement of ideas.
It is something to be guarded jealously and taught in its schools.
It is, meanwhile, denied to many in Red China, unable to grow through dialogue. Instead its economy grows from the influx of capital, going in on growth figures that have been verified by none except a communist dictatorship, or from the misappropriation of intellectual property. Red China understands the latter cannot continue and has put up some restrictions—but until the opportunities for growth are open to all, then it will not have the support of its citizenry in the way the United States does. Red China can only become a great nation if all of China rethinks the republic, perhaps a commonwealth, but certainly one based around the principles of Confucius and Sun Yat-sen. It can happen as suddenly as the collapse of the Soviet Union, or it may take many more years than we imagine.
Till then, the nation that may yet benefit is one that has great dialogue with the United States, and embraces it, seeing it as a blending of cultures and an opportunity for growth.
That nation is India and while its opportunities have not flowed through to everyone, and it, too, has its internal problems, it is poised to rise through the freedom of people, capital and ideas. The Indian century may follow the American century, but it may take a familiar form. Not far from now, if current trends continue, the Indian middle class will grow. It will form the basis of a strong national infrastructure. And the Indian century, too, will be based around freedom and liberty.
However, in the immediate term, provided the United States can unite itself around its real values, those principles that, in reality, are not uniquely American after all, I see no reason for the American century not to continue.
It is fortunate to have a holiday like the Fourth of July, a chance to remind everyone that freedom and justice are not buzzwords. That these principles really do mean something to the rest of the world—and that they need to be honoured. And that the power rests with everyone, because everyone has a voice.
Ever been on the road when another driver is making erratic moves and false signals? You don't know whether to pass him or hang way back and wait for the inevitable accident to occur and all you can do is pray he gets off the road before he hurts himself or worse, somebody else. Have you ever been the one others are looking at as if you got your license from a Cracker Jack box? If we compare these kinds of road experience to the nations of the world, you can look around and see other nations swerving all over the pavement bumping into one another vying for more prominent positions in world economy and military might. Little neighboring countries in Africa are like the cars behind us, they matter because we hate to see others hurt, but we are out of the danger zone. Others are nearer to us and most of them seem to have a steady hand at the wheel. One by one, others are coming up from behind and absolutely have no concern for their own welfare or anyone else's. It used to be that the drivers would take it upon themselves to scare the nuttiness out of those passing carelessly, it used to be that the other passengers in the car being driven so dangerously would take that driver away from the wheel and put in somebody much more careful. Nowadays, the passengers are divided, half cheering him on and the other half sitting quietly and grumbling. Nowadays, the other cars don't want to deal with the nut, so he is zipping by them and making sure everybody on the road is intimidated by him. Often times, there are fights in the front seat over the wheel.
Lately, even though we have been way out front, the rest of the field is watching us wander from right side to left side occasionally jerking onto the left shoulder and skidding back onto the pavement. Now, if you think of years as being minutes, its easy to see how that could be. Every four minutes we are changing drivers and there is always a huge discussion over who the next driver will be. The other drivers had grown accustomed to this and most would hang back whenever it was time to make the switch. Just lately we have the governmental powers fighting over the wheel. The president is supposed to be the one at the wheel. But Congress has been doing its best to usurp the authority of the president to steer the bus in defensive action and aggressive action. Add to that the Supreme court jumping in and pulling the wheel hard to the left working to take the authority to imprison battlefield combatants until war's end. Nobody else on the road wants to work with us to ensure security because they don't know if we'll be a friend or a backstabber in the next few minutes.
So, now its time to choose a new driver again and we need to consider all that this driver is going to have to face. Nobody in the other cars are willing to step up and do something about the gang of cars known as Islamic jihad. This president and this congress will have to make decisions about powers commandeering the wheel and if they don't or won't, we passengers are going to have to hit the brakes and decide for the three powers, who is supposed to drive. Wait! Where did the brake pedal go. Didn't we have one installed when we built this vehicle known as the union of states? The steering wheel is being fought over and we don't have brake pedal? Is anybody in the front seat doing something about this? Is anybody on the bus even concerned enough to sound an alarm?
Okay, so the analogy isn't perfect, but the concern should come through loud and clear. If we don't settle down and work out a clear plan of operation, we very likely will become the former world power. Those who think that would be a good thing are by definition anti-American. Who would step up to ensure the good things America does? Would China act as the world councilor and police for human rights? Do you think the United Nations could do it? Maybe you could place your trust in Islam? Which entity around the world has the muscle or the will to influence the world's drivers to serve their own well and work within the constraints of the rules of the road? No other country or world power has both the power and the will for the job and if we allow Islam or the UN or anybody with enough might to make the rules of the road, this will be a far different world. Islam would create a far more dangerous road by taking other vehicles and using them to their own ends. China would probably do something similar. The UN is basically a subset of Islam. Every other entity is either too weak or has already succumbed to the influence of radical Islam.
Once you put a light on the responsibility of the lead position, you begin to see how tenuous is the role we play in world politics and the consequences of dropping that responsibility begin to look more ominous than the 2nd amendment or a marriage certificate for homosexuals. This election will literally decide whether we place more judges who will fight for the wheel or more judges who will take the roll the builders and planners designed for them, whether we have a Congress who help and back the driver or are also pulling and fighting for the wheel. The parties have drawn clear lines on who will take the wheel from the assigned driver and who will support the decision making structure as designed by the original driver and navigators. I suggest you vote for a conservative veteran this election, whether for president or for Congress.
The last paragraph of the Declaration of Independence
We, therefore,
the Representatives of the United States of America, in General
Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for
the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of
the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That
these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and
Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the
British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the
State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that
as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War,
conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all
other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. 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.
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How to Celebrate the Fourth of
July Born in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence, America has had only one form of government. Neither our closest allies nor our fiercest enemies have experienced the stability with which God has blessed America. When the Founders approved the Declaration of Independence in 1776, John Adams suggested the way in which the day should be celebrated. We still follow his suggestion that the Fourth "be solemnized with pomp and parade -- with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other," but we seem to have forgotten his recommendation that the day "be commemorated as a day of solemn deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty." The spiritual element in celebrating the Fourth was important to the Founding Fathers and was practiced by Americans for generations afterwards. In fact, in his 1837 Fourth of July speech, John Quincy Adams observed: According to John Quincy Adams, on the Fourth of July the Founders took the precepts of Christ which came into the world through His birth and incorporated those principles into civil government. This is an excellent year to recover the original spirit of the celebration of the Fourth of July. We therefore recommend that in this year's celebration:
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If you are interested in reading other famous patriotic orations about the Fourth of July, or if you want to know more about each of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, you can order our two books on these subjects (Celebrate Liberty! Famous Patriotic Speeches and Sermons, and Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence) at a special 25% discount. This discount available through the end of July! |  | |
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Enjoy your Fourth of July! (By the way, if you know of others who might enjoy learning of God's hand in America's history, have them sign up on the WallBuilders' website for these periodic email pieces.) God bless!  David Barton | |||
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Foreign Aid to U.S. for Katrina
I have argued with Liberals on world opinion about America. The Liberals have charged that the world hates America for its imperialism and its consumption of the world's resources. The Liberals really believe that we are a force for evil in the world. I think this video displays the fallacy of that charge. We have poured out our resources on struggling people around the world whether we are in good times or bad. We have spent trillions in efforts to spread human rights and humanitarian aid and we have spilt American blood in the attempt to defend the defenseless. When America was hit by hurricane Katrina, the world was ready to give back, many at great personal cost.