Restore Sanity, Beck, Stewart, Restoring Honor

The more things are different, the more they stay the same.
Coffee or tea party? How about a stiff drink?

Now, the stiffs are busy voting in Chicago.

Let Freedom Ring! The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

Our early leaders, though war ached their hearts, stood fast against tyranny in favor of freedom. Do our leaders now have the same sober valor?

originally posted here: Let Freedom Ring! The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

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 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. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, 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 mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations 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 harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the 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 a 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 offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring 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 into 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, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy 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 endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an 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 attentions to our Brittish 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. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. 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 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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/rolling.html

Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

Two Will Lose: Inevitability in the 2008 Presidential Race

A friend described to me what he is thankful for, and, what many American voters are struggling with -- there is one certainty in this election: When the election in November is over, when the 2008 Presidential Race has finished, two candidates will have lost.

While many Barack Obama supporters are calling the Hillary Clinton campaign racist, and while many Hillary Clinton supporters are calling the Barack Obama campaign sexist, we see that neither camp respects the other. This means that when they join forces, after the Democrat super delegates are done being kissed on like some New York whore, lies begin.

Which lies? The ones which begin, "Wow, what a tough campaign (fill in name of winner). I (the name of the loser) respect you, trust you, and fully support you." They, then, will bear the other's love child.

Meanwhile, conservatives will be forced to vote for John McCain. They do not want to, but given their choice, whether Hillary or Barack, they are stuck.

Many Christians have found themselves stuck compromising one way or another. Many are choosing Obama if for no other reason his strong leadership reminds them of George Bush, despite his pro-abortion and pro-gay perspectives (Obama promises to dedicate presidency to homosexual activism, the Catholic News Agency quotes Obama, ""As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws," Obama said.")

Yet, likewise, wanting to remain prolife, who do they vote for? John McCain, a man whose campaign was quoted by the Huffington Post, "In a response to a question about the religious right, an important component of the Republican coalition, he said that it was, indeed "a serious problem...""

So then there is Hillary Clinton, who all but makes love to organizations like Planned Parenthood, who, along with Sen. Barack Obama and Elizabeth Edwards, chased pro-abortion voters.

At least two of the remaining candidates will lose. Well, yes, there's that. So will America. Damned if they vote for (X), and damned if they don't? That depends on what 'damned' means, which no doubt, each candidate would accuse the other of doing.

Tiananmen Square: From Tanks Killing Students, to Marathoners Racing for Gold

Tiananmen Square (also spelled 'Tienanmen Square'), as most people recall, is where China mowed down protesters against communism. The Chinese government used tanks in 1989 to murder peaceful promoters of democracy.

This happened in the beginning of George HW Bush's presidency, in a year that also saw the Salman Rushdie's stand for freedom against the Ayatollah. In both cases, Bush could nothing. In the case of China, he would have started WWIII.

What will happen during the marathon? I am concerned. The Chinese people have long wanted freedom, but are blocked from such freedom. With the world watching, I imagine the leaders of the freedom movement will look for an opportunity to speak.

With the marathon this year, there will need to be open doors to communications. Internet portals, fax machines, cell phones will be more freely available, and, by sheer force of need, not as monitored.

The marathon is not the only event, magnifying the possibilities from the Red Curtain to be broken. The window of opportunity is small, but not insignificant.

Olympic marathon to begin at Tiananmen Square: state media
BEIJING (AFP) - The marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will begin from central Tiananmen Square, one of China's most popular tourist spots, state media said Saturday.

Why Scooter Libby's Commuted Sentence Will Not Hurt George Bush

Scooter gets commuted. Libby's not on the lam. Bush decided not to pardon, but to commute Lewis Libby's sentence.

A commuted sentence basically says, "You're guilty, but you need not go to prison."

The original sentence, 30 months in prison, is on the books, but, in essence, completed, or, rather, deemed unnecessary.

Politically, this won't hurt or help anyone but Libby. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama will not gain from this. They cannot say, "Republicans are no good because of Scooter Libby." The impact will be forgotten by November 2008.

A lot of jabbering on talk shows will go on, but, any president knows controversial decisions made over a year before an election are inconsequential.

Republicans will not be hurt either. Any candidate worth his public relations salt has steered himself away from George Bush. They may agree with a Bush decision, like the Iraq War, but, his name will not be emphasized. George W is not running for re-election, and he, himself, is just doing what presidents do. Bill Clinton did this, and, famously, Gerard Ford did it with Nixon. No one remembers the Bill Clinton criminals, and no one will remember Libby.

I'm Not Selling Out, Just Selling Politics

Pure capitalism here. Here's how it works. Click through this ad to Amazon.com. You see a product you like, either immediately, or, after searching a little. Doesn't matter what it is it. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, George Bush, Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, iPod, Harry Potter, a widescreen TV. So long as you click here. Then, buy it. I get a cut. You pay the same. It is the same as if you bought from Amazon.com directly.

You might see other ads here, not just Amazon products. If there's anything vaguely valuable on this blog, or somewhat interesting, please support us in this way. I'm just a poor writer trying to make a buck while tossing in my two cents about issues I think matter in this world. And, occasionally, I'm right.

Salman Rushdie: Should He Matter to Muslims?

The question of Salman Rushdie continues. Mostly, it has fallen into the same crowd who thinks Osama bin Laden is a good man (or is it Usama?). The average Muslim is more enlightened, from what I am reading, and, although they are quietly not protesting for or against, they are looking toward other issues.

Interesting piece: Flippant Thoughts On Sir Salman. It is written by a Muslim who contends it is much ado about nothing. He is serious about his faith, yet believes Muslims are not only wasting their time focusing on this issue when compared to greater matters at hand, and:

For some Muslims, burning flags and effigies (and, in come cases, even embassies) seems to be the preferred method to respond to an offence of religious sensibilities. It’s as if we think the best way to protest the honour of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) is to disobey him!

It seems to me, a Christian, that the violent protests against Rushdie are something some Muslims feel they can engage in, especially if they are otherwise powerless economically or politically. Like England's soccer hooligans, or those people who begged for Bill Clinton's impeachment -- it is ultimately inconsequential (except perhaps to Sir Rushdie), making an impact forgotten in the midst of the smoke from burnt flags and books.

Christians in America had a similar crisis a few years ago, when the movie "Last Temptation of Christ" came out. Somewhat popular in its own right, the protests vaulted into a symbol for both sides. Christians protested it because of a larger issue - they felt Hollywood was bastardizing all they felt to be holy. The message in the movie was considered blasphemous, but eventually, they realized what they believed would not change because of a movie. They believed that Jesus Christ's life - his values, message, etc., could not be threatened by one movie (or a thousand).

It is easy to lose focus, to sublimate a symbol into reality. Isn't that a temptation of post modernism?

As elections approach, and we look at candidates, I hope we get past personas, biases prejudices and other kinds of hogwash. Otherwise, Bill Clinton would have only been a dumb Southern hick, and not an Oxford scholar. Hillary Clinton would be elected (or not) just because she is female, and, likewise, Barack Obama elected (or not) just because he is black, and Fred Thompson elected just because he looks like a president.

Bigger issues are at hand.

Issues: I Got 'Em

I've got issues.

• Iraq, and the terrorism question, is a big one. I think, no matter what the campaign speeches say, we are staying in Iraq for another several years.
• I do not think the North Korea issue is over.
• I'm not worried about the economy - I believe in capitalism, and that the market will right itself.
• Gas prices do not bother me: maybe we will learn to use alternate transportation.
• I do not think abortion should be legal, but I am not sure the next president can make a difference without Congressional support.
• I do not think executing criminals should be legal, but, like abortion, do not think this will change in the next term.
• I do think religious freedom in America is a big issue, but I also think modern Americans have become too afraid of speaking their mind about their faith. That's their problem, not the White House's. Use it or lose it.
• I do think we need to be vigilant about air quality. Smoke and chemicals go somewhere. What impact they have is a scientific argument, and I'm not equipped with a position or capacity to argue.