|
PureBytes Links
Trading Reference Links
|
We would all do well to remember what the famous <g> Pogo said. I
believe it was "We have met the enemy and they are us".
If you are unhappy with something, then you must actively work to
fix/change it - as the brave people referenced below did. In a
democracy, everyone must vote and regularly communicate/express their
views to their elected political representatives. Everyone must
participate for a democracy to work effectively. We must write
letters to the newspapers and magazines. There are forums on the web
or Usenet where one can express views anonymously. If nothing else,
then one can contribute to causes or campaigns that match the
viewpoint of their choice. But you cannot just sit back and always
point the finger at "THEM".
Too many in today's world refuse to take responsibility for much of
anything, choosing instead to take the lazy way out - blaming all
problems on "THEM". "THEY" are the cause of this or that problem, not
"ME", not "US", always "THEM". Remember, the United States
Constitution begins with "We, the people..." and the Declaration Of
Independence uses the pronoun "we" frequently.
Finally, simply complaining about a problem is of little value if you
don't have a viable solution to offer and actively work to communicate
and implement it. If the solution requires reforming or changing
election law, judicial law, tax code law, state law, whatever, then
you must find a way to make your point and affect the matter in some
positive way. You may not succeed in changing the situation or fixing
the problem immediately (or even in your lifetime), but you must
continue to try. We are all responsible for the world we live in.
Again, there is no "THEY". THEY are US...
JW
-----Original Message-----
From: listmanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:listmanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of James Taylor
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 6:56 PM
To: realtraders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RT] RE: The 4th of July
that brought a tear to my eye, especially when I thought about how the
fibre
of our current elected officials has deteriorated and become a band of
lieing, decieving, reckless, crooks.
God bless America, and heaven help us if things don't change fast.
-----Original Message-----
From: listmanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:listmanager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On
Behalf Of Ira Tunik
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 12:39 PM
To: realtraders@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RT] The 4th of July
For those of you who complain about taxes. Is there another place in
the world that affords the opportunities that this country gives one.
Some live in other countries yet take advantage of our economic
system,
stock and futures markets and complain that living here would be to
expensive and paying taxes a burden. People die in containers to get
here and all that many who live here can do is complain about their
plight. Here is something to think about over the fourth. What some
men
were willing to give up so that we can live the good life. Ira
Just a little food for thought as the 4th
approaches....
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 you a lot about what
happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight
just the British. We were British subjects at that
time and we fought our own government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted,
but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while
enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank
these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price
they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free! . It's time we get the word out that
patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has
more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.
|