What is your citizenship to the USA worth?
Before I go off on this, let me first point to the signers of the Declaration Of Independence.
I wondered how many of the LEADERS of today would stand UP for their Country as these 56 did, knowing that when they signed their name they signed their death Certificate.
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.
Many died to make and hold this country together as the United States of America. I regrettably must inform you that many more will choose this path. You see, Freedom Isn't Free. The sacrifices of freedom are many. No matter the uniform or the date, there are those who have stepped out and saved our nation. Sometimes it is in small ways such as your local police or fire fighter. Sometimes it is in big ways such as each of our branches of military as they marched in war to save our nation for us here today.
The cost of freedom is being exacted each and every day. Under our current law there are only two ways to gain access to the USA. The lucky ones are born here and have the full right to partake in all. The second way is through great struggle and toil, where by you are deemed worthy and given this gift at a cost through our rules of law. Those who have done it legally have no doubt in the cost of this gift and humbly give all for it.
Yet, there are those who would make a mockery of the process. There are they who offer a slap in the face to those who gained legal access. Many have willingly given everything they had to be part of this nation. Could you put a price on your citizenship? What if it was legal to sell it on an auction site? How high do you think the bidding would go? At what price are you willing to settle?
Look again at the signers of the Declaration, they knew not what they were giving it all for. Yet they did. YOU know full well the value. Can we sit back and let it be trampled? Do we let it be cheapened so?
Lately we have seen vast marches by mostly Mexican organized groups demanding that we give them what has cost us so dearly. They are unwilling to make any of the sacrifice and have chosen a life of crime to take what we can not freely give.
Yes, I realize that Mexico isn't a nice place. I even realize the vast corruption that consumes the Mexican government. I find it amazing that some of you will still declare loyalty to it. Let me simply ask you this: Who is going to sign your Declaration of Independence? When will you be free?
I wondered how many of the LEADERS of today would stand UP for their Country as these 56 did, knowing that when they signed their name they signed their death Certificate.
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.
Many died to make and hold this country together as the United States of America. I regrettably must inform you that many more will choose this path. You see, Freedom Isn't Free. The sacrifices of freedom are many. No matter the uniform or the date, there are those who have stepped out and saved our nation. Sometimes it is in small ways such as your local police or fire fighter. Sometimes it is in big ways such as each of our branches of military as they marched in war to save our nation for us here today.
The cost of freedom is being exacted each and every day. Under our current law there are only two ways to gain access to the USA. The lucky ones are born here and have the full right to partake in all. The second way is through great struggle and toil, where by you are deemed worthy and given this gift at a cost through our rules of law. Those who have done it legally have no doubt in the cost of this gift and humbly give all for it.
Yet, there are those who would make a mockery of the process. There are they who offer a slap in the face to those who gained legal access. Many have willingly given everything they had to be part of this nation. Could you put a price on your citizenship? What if it was legal to sell it on an auction site? How high do you think the bidding would go? At what price are you willing to settle?
Look again at the signers of the Declaration, they knew not what they were giving it all for. Yet they did. YOU know full well the value. Can we sit back and let it be trampled? Do we let it be cheapened so?
Lately we have seen vast marches by mostly Mexican organized groups demanding that we give them what has cost us so dearly. They are unwilling to make any of the sacrifice and have chosen a life of crime to take what we can not freely give.
Yes, I realize that Mexico isn't a nice place. I even realize the vast corruption that consumes the Mexican government. I find it amazing that some of you will still declare loyalty to it. Let me simply ask you this: Who is going to sign your Declaration of Independence? When will you be free?
posted by ablur at 4/17/2006 08:50:00 PM
4 Comments:
Thanks. This is a great post.
As a Citizen I am given a whole load of responsibilities before I get a single RIGHT. I am enjoined to use my rights to carry out those responsibilities and I gladly and willfully accept that task. The Constitution tells each of us what it takes to be a Citizen in this Nation and it is *not* about rights.
It is about responsibilities and keeping them by using your rights productively for the betterment of everyone. We the People, disparages none and elevates all and we are to make this a more perfect Union so that we may hand the hard and wonderful task of Building a Republic to those who follow us with the entire package whole and complete and better for us having been here.
Rights without responsibility has led to chaos, anarchy and a free for all and 'me, me, me' mentality. Unfortunately that is the exact opposite of the compact We the People are to keep. And we have forgotten that at our peril and allowed the pernicious and barbaric idea of rights before responsibilities take hold.
Fascinating, and very well said. You have a gift for expression.
Kudos!
Excellent article! You have done your homework, unfortunately, many here do not do their homework and know nothing of history nor do they show any respect for this country or it's flag...Notice when the National Anthem is played and the flag is displayed,,,people don't even know what to do to show the respect that the occasion requires.
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