I know all these days of celebration can get confusing, what with Dear Leader issuing a Presidental Proclamation that 2 days ago was National Equal Pay Day, Dyngus Day was this month, National Talk Like A Pirate Day coming up in September, AARRGGHHH!
Long-time readers know that I am a Founding Father aficionado. We have talked about overlooked dates in our history before, read about Constitution Day here. Today, April 19, is another such date. It is known as Patriot's Day, not to be confused with the designation of September 11 as Patriot Day. Patriot's Day marks the 237th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the initial engagements of the American Revolution.
On April 19th, 1775, Emerson's "shot heard round the world" was fired at the Old North Bridge, This was the first outbreak of open military conflict between Great Britain and the colonists. It was the moment of conception for this great American experiment that President Obama is trying so hard to abort.
The commander of the milita at Lexington, Captain John Parker, had this to say when British troops were sighted... "Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they want a war let it begin here". And begin there it did.
Imagine the fears, passions, and spirit those revolutionaries carried in their souls during the long, bloody war for independence. None of them asked to become Founding Fathers of a new nation. They were "just" men of honor, achievement, and principle, who found themselves and their communities suffering intolerably from the oppression of a central government. They came together, defeated the most powerful nation on the planet, and established a republic that became mankind's greatest hope.
They knew what Edmund Burke knew...."All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing". Instead of doing nothing, they acted, and the bell of freedom begin to ring.
This Patriot is ashamed at what we have allowed our country to become. I wonder how it all happened, but I bet Edmund Burke knows. Mostly I wonder this.... When and where will the NEXT "shot heard round the world" be fired?
Amen to that, Crew. These brave men sacrificed much during their lives (as did their families) and many ultimately gave their lives for the cause of liberty. We dishonor them by forgetting.
ReplyDeleteDITTO!! @ Rabbit!
ReplyDeleteThe days of "yeah-it's not right but it doesn't affect me" need to be over!!!
Thanks Rabbit! Extra credit for anybody who knows what Dyngus Day is, and no, it is not observed in honor of the founding of the Secret Service.
ReplyDeleteI'm hearing rumbles of "revolution" more these days as people begin to realize and wonder if the federal gov't is actually able to make real and necessary changes in the tax code, the deficit, entitlements, mega spending, etcetera. "Revolution" is a scary word, but, just maybe, it doesn't have to be bloody. Let's hope. Carma
ReplyDeleteI've written on SACSTW before about this quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes...."between two groups of people who want to make inconsistent kinds of worlds, I see no remedy but force". It is coming.
ReplyDeleteAs long as we have a president who foments hatred between Americans (black vs white, male vs female, rich vs middle class, rich vs poor, etc ad nauseam), we won't be permitted to settle our differences and remedy the inconsistencies. :::donning tin foil hat::: I often wonder if that's the purpose: to incite revolution.
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