236 years ago today, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress…after defeating an amendment to name the new country, “Cool Dude Nation”.
In this era of hyper-partisanship and corporate-owned politicians, it may seem almost surreal to think back to the founding of America and the shared goals Americans shared then…though I’m sure there must have been some Earl Grey Tea Party members who insisted that all regulations against England dominating America should be removed and freedom will trickle down to Americans.
So today, we celebrate our nation’s independence from the domination of the greedy, religiously-driven, war loving, super-wealthy and anti-democratic tyrants. Good thing that’s all behind us now!
Share your thoughts, quotes, graphics, videos and/or music that celebrate independence, freedom and America!
Liberty is Too Precious a Thing – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
All Men Are Created Equal – To Kill a Mocking Bird
America – Simon and Garfunkel
American Girl – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
American Woman – Lenny Kravitz
American Idiot – Green Day
Rocking in the Free World – Neil Young
Did everyone hear about San Diego’s fireworks? It was the beginning and the finale in one fell swoop. that is what happens when a county turns republican, the f-ups start.
[img]http://www.caglecartoons.com/media/cartoons/81/2012/07/03/114550_600.jpg[/img]
AdLib – Lovely post. However, in the interests of historical accuracy, I must assert that it was originally debated that we would be called Ye Olde Cool Dude Nation.
Fidelity to fact is the essence of intellect.
Otherwise, excellent way to celebrate the day!
Choicelady, thanks!
I double checked Wikipedia and I stand corrected, you’re right about that.
Just glad they also decided against starting The Constitution, “We the Peeps”.
“We the yellow marshmallow chicks”?????
Wrong Peeps. Urban slang, Peeps. Marshmallow chickens? Not so much.
CL: Biff knew that. He just thinks that with some of the idiots around they might be thinking marshmallow chickens. BTW, I call the Blov “perps” – as in perp walk – instead of peeps.
The President Delivers Remarks at Independence Day Celebration
Bruce Springsteen, followed by the man himself, Woody Guthrie: This Land is Your Land. Dedicated to my children throughout this tough old world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yuc4BI5NWU&feature=related
Perfect picks, AB! Big faves of mine! Thanks!
What I love is Bruce’s comment: [I don’t know if this song is true anymore]…but I know that it ought to be.
Amen to that, and I forgive you, Bruce, for cancelling that concert in Austin in the 70s and costing me the $20 ticket (which was 1/3 of my food budget for the whole month) since I couldn’t get back to go get a refund a few weeks later. I never forgave you for that, but I do now. – AB
I am thankful for freedom from speech—-from all the HP FOX etc. speech that harms us all. And I am thankful for this, for planetpov and it’s quality of information, compassion and kinship!
I’m just busy right noe but appreciate beinghere. KABoom, Starburst, Sparklers!!
I’m thankful for you and the other independent thinkers who make The Planet what it is!
A very Happy 4th to you, Foodchain.
A little late but just wanted to say HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY to everyone at The Planet, and to Americans who remember the true meaning of this day. Those who try to strive for it and maintain it through words or actions all over the world.
🙂
Hello Kalima, so very nice to see you. Democracy can be messy and it does at times take daily vigilance to maintain some type of balance.
Hope your day was kind to you, you deserve it.
Thank you so much, Kalima! Hope the day was a peaceful one for you.
This day has always been a bit vexed for me, if I’m really honest. I do love this country a great deal, but I worry when I see the amount of gushing sentimentality that some folks indulge in on days like his, at the same time that they fiercely resist any actual sacrifice for their country. They don’t want to pay taxes. They don’t want their children to fight the wars they advocate. They don’t want to be responsible for the poor, the elderly, the ill. They don’t even want to drive a vehicle that doesn’t consume huge amounts of gas.
Sentiment without sacrifice. That’s patriotism RW-style.
That said, like you, I admire Americans — like our president — who remember the true meaning of this day.
Kes, so true, but it’s people like Obama (and people here) that demonstrate just why we need to keep “fighting”. I’m on my husband about the “silent majority” that go on every day doing their best without complaint. If only these good men and women would stand up and leave the bleating RW in the dust!
You said it, fc! This country has millions of decent people who work hard and deserve better than what Mitt and his cronies are trying to sell them.
Thanks so much Kalima!
Reading the comments and watching the videos posted here today, it is gratifying to know that many here really cherish the freedom, conscience and independence that America represents…and want to see that fully restored.
Independence Day Celebration from the White House–Live
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
Cool fireworks!
America the Beautiful
To get you in the mood for tonight.
4th of July at the White House 2011
You can watch the concert beginning tonight, just after 8:00 on WhiteHouse.gov/live, and if you stick around, you’ll get a great view of the National Mall fireworks show — from the South Lawn of the White House.
Happy Birthday to Malia Obama!
bito, all you’ve posted AND a birthday! Well, I will smile on this.
This speech by Chaplin at the end of The Great Dictator still resonates, arguing for freedom, independence and the need for people to come together for the greater good of their shared humanity.
Finale Speech – The Great Dictator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcvjoWOwnn4
Ad, and as he pointed out the polarities then, we still seem to have some majority that want to abandon thought and reach for a future we idealize or a past still caught in fondness (no matter how evil). How do we move forward when some want a cosmic shift and others want a returto “safety”? It seems our paradox
Foodchain, it helps to confirm that it is an eternal battle between those who embody the best of mankind and those who embody the worst of it. A yin and yang that must exist.
The mistake that “the good guys” have made throughout history is that there is such a thing as a final victory over “the bad guys”. Had Liberals not declared victory in the 1970’s and moved on to chilling out and welcoming the Yuppie rewards for their previous labors, the RW might not have taken over to the degree they did and we might be in a far better country and economy today.
At least, now we know. Each generation has to pass the torch to the next, we continue to do what we can but must recruit the next generation into the fray.
As Neil Young said, Rust Never Sleeps. And neither can we.
…and THAT got him on the Black List for a time.
The Right hates democracy. Never can figure out how they say the Pledge – “liberty and justice for all” – when they detest that very principle.
Oh, well. They’re still Americans so I guess they can think what they please. They just can’t DO what they please as a result of what they think if said actions do harm, violate the Constitution, and erode other people’s rights.
Independence Day is about liberation NOT just from England but from tyranny of thought, word, and deed.
Hey Choicelady, indeed, Chaplin’s liberal views and strong opinions that the U.S. should join the fight against Hitler in WW II when the nation was still hiding its isolationist head in the sand.
The U.S. government, especially Hoover turned against him during the McCarthy period. From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chaplin#McCarthy_era
I’m a big fan of Chaplin, he was an extraordinary artist and had a powerful social conscience. He had many failings, including his penchant for very young women, a massive and temperamental ego and he was a difficult-to-work-with perfectionist.
The RW does indeed have its greatest similarity to the very forces we fought against to win our independence (as a satirized in the article).
Religious dictatorship, domination of the wealthy over those who aren’t in their class, anti-democratic views…just how different is the desired government of the Repubs from America’s pre-revolutionary domination by England’s theocracy?
Indeed, Independence is needed from domestic tyrants as well.
That is funny Adlib I just wrote a comment to CL on the OT thread about this very same isolationism of Americans during the rise of Hitler. The only thing I can say for the US is that FDR did have a battle plan and it ultimately was the right course but I don’t think America can ever pat themselves on the back for liberating the concentration camps in 1945. A few million Jews could have used that liberation as early as 1939.
It is estimated that there were 11 million jews in all of Europe(including eastern). How hard could it have been for the nations of the world to provide safe passage to them if they wanted it? If the world had done that in 1939 to 1942 they could have saved millions. But everyone closed their borders and reduced their intake of immigrants in order to look the other way.
AdLib, You mention “shared goals” and with that comes shared responsibilities.
While in the New England colonies the beginnings of the War for Independence” had already started other colonies were still debating, including Virginia. It took Patrick Henry’s fiery, inspirational speeches to convince the assembly that they did indeed have shared goals. Who hasn’t heard his famous line “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!”
It not only inspired the Virginians then but it inspires some now with their “Don’t Tread on Me” slogans
As we have learned, after his barn burning speech, Virginia joind the war with the rest of the colonies. A “Shared Goal!” A common good.
The next order of business the assembly took up was raising funds(taxes) to pay for the shared goal. Shared Sacrifice
So true, Bito. Sharing goals means sharing the sacrifices needed to reach those goals. No goal worth achieving comes without sacrifice, that is the lie that the Repubs and Romney try to sell America and unfortunately succeed in some cases.
Romney and the GOP tell the public that they can have all the benefits of the ACA without any sacrifice. The GOP and Bush sold America on being able to fight two wars and have a trillion dollar pharmaceutical plan without making any sacrifice.
People need to figure this out for themselves but it wouldn’t hurt to have a re-elected Obama give a fiery speech about the need for sacrifice to make this a better country for future generations.
bito,adlib, as a fellow once said,”Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. It seems that we have demanders and secessionists, each wantingwhat they want with little concern or regard for another opinion.
So true, FC, hate to throw around this charge but the current GOP is about as anti-American as it has ever been.
Their opposition to sacrifice and the public welfare could come from a traitor’s/saboteur’s handbook on how to undermine and disintegrate American society and democracy.
Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWJXDG2i0A
I’m Free – Rolling Stones
Jimi Hendrick’s Star Spangled Banner;
Traffic–Freedom Rider;