The Fourth of July
Independence Day

As we celebrate the Fourth Of July, with our Fireworks,

and hot dogs,

may we remember what this day is all about..

Don't let us forget those brave men and women that fought and died so that we might have the freedom to speak up when things are not as they should be...
The freedom to worship in churches of our choice.

I don't know about you, but I still get "goose bumps" when I hear the song, "God Bless America", or when I stand and "Pledge Allegiance To The Flag".

So enjoy the holiday, but don't forget those that made it possible.

Love all of you,
ARareJewelnLA

    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. Their 13 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. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
    Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
    They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told us a lot of what happened in the Revolutionary War. Our forefathers didn't just fight the British. They were British subjects at that time, and they fought their own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted...and we shouldn't.
    So, let's take a few moments while enjoying our 4th of July holiday and silently appreciate these patriots and thank the God who moved them. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Submitted by Neednuttin in 1998.

Letter from a visitor regarding flag etiquette 1/22/03.  (Thank you Roger!)

Surfed into your site to get the other three verses to the national anthem when my eye was caught by your flag etiquette section. This is one of my pet peeves, from flying ratty torn flags from car windows (it's important to support your country after 9-11, but not by disrespecting our flag; mine flies from my house, 24-7, not my car) to not stopping when the flag passes by in a parade to salute, but I digress...

FYI: The Boy Scouts of America do a flag retirement ceremony that will bring tears to your eyes. Most Districts and Councils have at least one Troop (frequently more) that will conduct retirement ceremonies once or twice a year. Around here, we retrieve the flag's grommets (they don't burn) from the ashes the next morning and bury them either where the flag originally flew or another place of honor. Your local BSA District or Council office number is in the white pages.

Roger Phillips, BSA Pack 89/Troop 16, Driver, Va

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