Happy Independence Day – Let Us Celebrate as It Was Celebrated In 1776

"...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..." From the Declaration of Independence signed July 4, 1776

Below you will read what happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence after they signed. The brave Americans of that time were courageous enough to stand up to King George and demand the rights that the Government denied them and the rest of the people. They risked their lives, liberty, livelihood and property. We the citizens of the US today should show the same courage to stand up to those in power and expose them when they misuse their power against the people. We must not be afraid of retribution from an administration which has often shown a vicious vindictiveness toward those who expose their immoral underside. That is why I am asking you to read this website, http://eatatjoesplace.blogspot.com/. I truly and fervently believe the things I’ve written there, and I further believe that to remain silent when I honestly believe those in power are misusing that power would be unpatriotic and un-American. Many Americans who have publicly questioned the policy decisions of the Bush Administration have found themselves questioned by the FBI or other authorities. They have been visited at their work, and their supervisors have been questioned as well. Often this results in their losing their jobs. I fully understand that this may happen to me as well. I hope it does not, but in the hope of a better America, I will take that chance. In honor of our brave founders who stood up and spoke truth to power in spite of the danger, I will do the same. Happy Independence Day. God Bless America, the greatest nation on Earth. May we one day be as great as we can be - for our children and our children’s children’s sake.

Now then, about the signers: Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many people as you can, please.

It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games. Real Americans Stand Up For America! Stand Up and Speak Out! Don't Be Afraid Of King George. God Bless America!