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.

And the signers:

Georgia: Button Gwinnett Lyman Hall George Walton
North Carolina: William Hooper Joseph Hewes John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge Thomas Heyward, Jr. Thomas Lynch, Jr. Arthur Middleton
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
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
New York: William Floyd Philip Livingston Francis Lewis Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton John Witherspoon Francis Hopkinson John Hart Abraham Clark
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

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

That is, it’s a post that exists for one reason, and one reason only.

That reader (you will have to read the comments in the July 4 post to find out who I am talking about) mentioned that it was a shame that a picture of one of the most important documents in the history of the country had to be positioned in such a way that it was so close to such a socialist.

It is my hope that this post will create enough space between the pictures that there is no offense to the upper.

(I just checked, and you can still see both pictures at once.

I will have to keep adding lines, until that no longer happens.)

(Man, I can’t seem to add enough lines.

I’ll keep working on it, though.

Wouldn’t want to offend the Declaration.)

(One more set ought to do it.

Last time I checked, the two pictures were apart by one click-roll of the mouse wheel.

Since I use Firefox, I’m going to add a few more lines, just in case someone else has a different resolution or a taller monitor, or another browser, that allows both to be seen at the same time.

I sure hope this is enough.)

Full disclosure: I wrote this post on Saturday, July 5, 2008.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

My fellow Americans:

As your future President I want to thank my supporters, for your mindless support of me, despite my complete lack of any legislative achievement, my pastor’s relations with Louis Farrakhan and Libyan dictator Moamar Quadafi, or my blatantly leftist voting record while I present myself as some sort of bi-partisan agent of change.

I also like how my supporters claim my youthful drug use and criminal behavior somehow qualifies me for the Presidency after 8 years of claiming Bush’s youthful drinking disqualifies him. Your hypocrisy is a beacon of hope shining over a sea of political posing.

I would also like to thank the Kennedy’s for coming out in support of me. There’s a lot of glamour behind the Kennedy name, even though JFK started the Vietnam War, his brother Robert illegally wiretapped Martin Luther King, Jr. and Teddy killed a female employee with whom he was having an extra marital affair and who was pregnant with his child. And I’m not going anywhere near the cousins, both literally and figuratively.

And I’d like to thank Oprah Winfrey for her support. Her love of meaningless empty platitudes will be the force that propels me to the White House.

Americans should vote for me, not because of my lack of experience or achievement, but because I make people feel good. Voting for me causes some white folk to feel relieved of their imagined, racist guilt.

I say things that sound meaningful, but don’t really mean anything because Americans are tired of things having meaning. If things have meaning, then that means you have to think about them.

Americans are tired of thinking. It’s time to shut down the brain, and open up the heart. So when you go to vote in the primaries, remember don’t think, just do. And do it for me.

Thank You.
Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.

-author unknown

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

As is the case whenever she wakes up early, MEG is back down for a nap at this time (0730 ish). Since I am the only one home with her, I can’t go out and get my ride in now. Looks like tomorrow morning will be the re-start of my quest for fitness.

Quick reminder - Friday at 0700 Mountain Standard Time, The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, thirty minute show, and a salute to the Fourth of July.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

The purpose of fighting is to win.
There is no possible victory in defense.
The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either.
The final weapon is the brain.
All else is supplemental.

1. Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.
4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him “Why do you carry a 45?”
The Ranger responded, “Because they don’t make a 46.”
6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. “Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?”
“No Ma’am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.”
8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!

But wait, there’s more!

I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did.

She said “Well I certainly hope it isn’t loaded!”

To which I said, “Of course it is loaded, can’t work without bullets!”

She then asked, “Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?”

My reply was, “No, not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.”

To which I’ll add, having a gun in the house that isn’t loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.

I’m a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment! If you are too, please pass this around.

Remember - never advertise how well armed you are, or how well trained your dogs are. Let it be a surprise.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Yeah, forgot to mention that the snooze button got all the miles, instead of the bike. And then again, this morning. I am never going to get an exercise plan going as long as I stay up late and have a snooze button.

Someplace along the way I also wrote a guest post for My Point regarding the Mexican Nationals that have been attacking here in Phoenix. (so far, they have only been attacking drug/drop houses, we’ll see how long that holds true)

Today is MEG’s 18-month visit. I cannot believe how fast time is flying. Luckily, we have pictures.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Started out with the alarm bright and early this morning, the plan was to get up and do a three-mile bike sprint while TMBWitW got ready for work, then wake the little darling (MEG) and get going on the day.

Friday, after The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, we went to the chiropractor, went back home, I dropped off TMBWitW, MEG, and Logan, and headed for Mesa. I stopped at the church first to pick up my cargo trailer and arrived out at the rental place to pick up the twelve round tables, twelve round table clothes, three oblong table clothes, and the two eight foot tall roman pillars for the wedding on Saturday. I got the stuff to the church (not my church, a different church. long story) and when I pulled up there were tons and tons of no one there to help me unload. Or get into the church.

After leaving a message on the groom’s phone (he’s the one that arranged to meet me there at that time to unload the tables and stuff), I sat in the parking lot. I couldn’t leave for the next scheduled activity, since the trailer has a lock on it and only two people have the key - neither one of them is the groom. It was about 1130 and I needed to drop the trailer, hightail it to the house (twenty minutes) transfer to the other car (twenty minutes - we’re talking getting girls ready to travel here) and then head back over to the Mesa area (forty five minutes if traffic is it’s usual turtle pace at several choke points) for a 1300 appointment. I sat in the SUV, with the motor running (for the AC - it was over 110° at the time) until - the bride! The bride came ambling out of the church. I quickly backed into position (not knowing which door was going to be opened, i had no idea where to back in) and started running stuff into the church. After the two columns and the tablecloths were inside, the groom pulled up. With his mom, the bride’s mom, and the bride’s two sisters.

(where the heck were all the guys? i was under the impression that the guys would be there to help unload…)

Well - the two sisters and I got the tables rolled inside as quick as possible, and I parked the trailer in a remote corner of the lot. Then, I had to tear off to get home. It si very difficult to get home any faster than twenty minutes from that church, since I try to obey the speed limit at all times. It was about 1205, and time was getting shorter. TMBWitW was ready to go, but MEG had decided to nap out. Had to gently ease her into the car seat and then haul butt for the East Valley. Traffic was flowing pretty well, and I was right at the speed limit all the way there. We made it to the appointment in time, and then it was time to get back home, I had to switch vehicles again, TMBWitW and MEG had to head over for the rehearsal, and I needed to get to downtown Phoenix for a handyman job that I finally managed to get scheduled.

Whew!

I got the job finished, and headed for the church in time for rehearsal dinner. Swapped the tools into TMBWitW’s car, left the SUV parked at the church, and headed home.

Saturday was the wedding, but first a couple of females in my life needed to get their hair done. They had an appointment, but the hairstylist was running late. Good thing we took our good clothes with us. We changed at the church, and were ready in time for pictures.

I told you all of that so I could tell you this: I returned the tables this morning. People in the East Valley don’t know how to drive. They also don’t know what a turn signal is, either to use one or when someone else uses one. Can’t tell you the number of times I was cut off by those who don’t know how to use them, or forced to maneuver at the last minute because no one recognized the turn signal on the trailer as a legitimate expression of my intent. I am especially impressed by those bozos who consiously decide to speed up when they see a turn signal on a vehicle trying to get out of the “exit only” lanes on the 202 west bound.

So - how was your morning?

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Wearing the RED to show the TROOPS that I truly do SUPPORT them!

So, did you listen to The O Word this morning? Or, like a couple of squids (whom I really do respect) were you just not able to get up in time?

(gentle digs at Gawfer and Doug. i really do respect these two. no, really, i do.)

Hope you have a good weekend - I’m off for wedding activities (a friend is getting married and since I have the enclosed trailer, I get to pick up the rental items) and other Friday tasks.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

It’s been a while since I’ve done an Update for my blogroll friends, so here goes:

First up is Blackfive, where the ethics videos for certain government entities have been procured and posted.

Richard is making good use of his new camera.

Good old GuyK woke up this morning with a list of aches and pains. He shares his morning with you…

Our Sovereign Joy has a series going on about sinners being restored from their trespasses. I’m going to mark this as a required reading entry.

Texas Fred has a couple of articles up about the recent SCOTUS decision about child rapists … and their “right” to not be executed. Nope, nothing controversial there… (update - latest entry is about the 2nd amendment)

On One Loon’s Tales, Loon herself is also carrying the story of the SCOTUS miscue decision.

Political Pistachio, back on after a brief blip, talks about the SCOTUS too - but this time, about the 2nd Amendment case involving handguns in our Nation’s Capitol.

I’m sensing a trend here - Samantha has a view on the SCOTUS dropped ball also.

Rogue wants to know who took his country. Good question. I’m bettin’ the DemocRATs had something to do with it.

Right Turn has her view on the Henderson KY shooting.

According to Jenn’s latest post, the “think” tank in San Fransissyco has determined that an appropriate memorial for our current president would be renaming a public works building. I think it’s a crappy idea.

American and Proud of It joins the ranks of the bloggers posting on the SCOTUS’ collective cranial collapse.

ablur has some information on the Obamassiah you might want to read.

Mary has a book review about Stormie. (good to see you in action, Mary!)

Akinoluna has a story about triplets who are joining the Marine Corps - together! Instant family tradition, anyone?

Got a few minutes? Make that a bit longer - as is the case anytime you want to peruse Dumb Looks Still Free - as he delves deeply into the respective plans (not policies!) of the presumptive candidates. A good read, worth the thought and effort of getting all the way through it.

cookiecrumbexpress shows off the last part of the trip home, and shares a little bit about certain members of the Obama Nation being “removed” from the public eye…

Third Wave Dave highlights the effort to send the largest care package shipment to our troops in history.

Old Soldier has two questions for you, one regarding the legal standing of the primates, and another concerning voting. Two separate entries, please take the time to view both.

Cube takes a look at the Microsoft team - then and now. All I have to say is, thank God the seventies ended when they did.

My Point shares Doctor Blogstein’s search for a fatwa. Oh. My.

Just John has a reminder from the Japanese park authority about your dog.

Bloviating Zeppelin has a must-read on the so-called “Fairness Doctrine” that should be used as a reference while you contact your representatives.

Supporting the Troops has the Wednesday Hero up - go check out (Army) SSGT Voss…

And last (but certainly not the least) of the recently updated (according to blogrolling.com, anyway) is my good friend Gawfer, with his thoughts on Obama, McCain, and the American Dream.

Be sure to check out the rest of the people on my blogroll. Tell ‘em I sent ya.

My Bad: I am most disgusted with myself for forgetting to mention the latest member of my blogroll, Amboy Times. Another good read. GO! Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Just wanted to let you know that I have to cut my Friday shows to thirty minutes, instead of the full hour.

It’s an economics thing.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!