25 Comments

1. Silicon valley Jim:

Happy Fourth of July to you, too, Roger. I’m with you about Ellis Island. My paternal grandparents came to the United States early in the twentieth century from Poland; I assume that they came through Ellis Island. It’s anybody’s guess what would have happened to them had they stayed; as it is, the Nazis burned all the birth records in the little town in Galicia from which they came. I’m a lucky man to have had grandparents with that sort of initiative, and I’m lucky that there was the United States to welcome them – and me.

Jul 4, 2005 - 7:35 am 2. Ron Wrght:

Roger and All,

Happy 4th of July everyone.

Please remember what we are celebrating as our brave men and women in uniform are going into HarmÔøΩs Way to protect what we hold dear.

See this draft essay re the LL and the MSM I posted in the thread below from th Iraqi blogger.

*****

How to Lose a War

What more do the leftist and the MSM want?

President Bush has not waffled on his message, ÔøΩWe must stay the course.ÔøΩ He was re-elected after much debate on this very issue by the American people.

In creditable polls (RAND Corp and Pew), the American people do see a need for our continued presence in Iraq in terms of the larger GWOT. With the disinformation that the Liberal Left (LL) and MSM are spewing, the people are left confused at times.

The LL as well as the MSM are so wracked with anger and disdain for this administration, they canÔøΩt see the forest for the trees. We are not bogged down in any quagmire nor is this another Vietnam or is this an US imperialistic colonial movement; no matter how hard they may wish it so or try.

[...]

The Blogos now has the power to bring objective news/info of the day directly to the American people without filtering or blocking by the LL aristocracy and the MSM.

[...]

This ideology is not unlike the other failed ideologies that have been discarded into historyÔøΩs dustbin e.g., Nazism, Communism, and Fascism. These ideologies couldnÔøΩt provide for the needs and wants of the people. They failed to provide an equitable distribution of resources and wealth among the people. The key failure is they do not recognize the fundamental truth of the free will of men and women. In particular, the Achilles Heel of Islamofacisim is its failure to recognize the importance of women. Not until we crush and wipe this ideology from the face of the earth will this war be over.

[...]

Finally, I have yet to hear a coherent alternative strategic plan put forth by the LL and the MSM to win this war. Until they have a plan worth pursuing, the Honorable Senator Feingold, Senator Kennedy, Senator Kerry, and Senator Durbin can:

SHUT THE @#$% UP!

Their constant gum flapping is sending mix messages to the enemy. This only empowers and emboldens the enemy to kill more innocents and to kill or injure our brave men and women in uniform who go into harmÔøΩs way on our behalf. These thoughtless political statements only serve to hurt the morale of our troops. Our military is defending our very way of life, culture, and freedoms we hold dear from the enemy in the GWOT.

Link Here

AND MY GOD BLESS AMERICA!

[Of your choosing or none if thatÔøΩs your belief]

Jul 4, 2005 - 8:34 am 3. Richard Nieporent:

Silicon Valley Jim,

You can search the passenger arrival records at the Ellis Island site to see if your grandparents arrived there. My father’s family came from Warsaw Poland in the 1920s to escape persecution. I guess it is lucky for me that got out when they did.

Jul 4, 2005 - 9:05 am 4. Fausta:

Happy 4th of July, Roger, and visitors!

Jul 4, 2005 - 9:14 am 5. richard mcenroe:

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

The Eternal Meaning of Independence Day

PeterUK ó No hard feelings.

Jul 4, 2005 - 10:04 am 6. mrp:

In the spirit of this glorious day -

A link to a 1918 recording of “You’re A Grand Old Flag” by the American Quartet. (mp3 format)

(Lyrics here)

Jul 4, 2005 - 10:13 am 7. Brian:

Today’s the day to give the old girl a read, and here she is in glorious HTML. You can look at a picture of the original hard copy here.

Here’s a good examination of the stylistic artistry of the declaration – “perhaps the most masterfully written state paper of Western civilization”, he says and I agree – and here is a rather lengthy history of the physical document itself.

While you’re at it, you may as well read the Constitution too; see if bits of it really are “in exile” or not. Bill of Rights here, additional amendments here.

Homework done, enjoy the fireworks!

Jul 4, 2005 - 10:27 am 8. Brown Line:

It may be O/T, but can I put in a good word for old Sam Johnson? When he opined that “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”, he was making a comment not about patriotism but about scoundrels, and how they deceive. If he were alive now, he might well have said, “Tolerance is the last refuge of a scoundrel”.

Jul 4, 2005 - 11:24 am 9. photoncourier.blogspot.com:

Brown Line..actually, he kind of did…something closely related, at least:

“Some claim a place in the list of patriots, by an acrimonious and unremitting opposition to the court. This mark is by no means infallible. Patriotism is not necessarily included in rebellion. A man may hate his king, yet not love his country.”

Jul 4, 2005 - 11:42 am 10. Silicon valley Jim:

Thank you, Richard; I’m going to the site right now to do just that. I wonder how badly the family name got mangled (it’s a difficult one).

Jul 4, 2005 - 1:14 pm 11. Ron Wrght:

Hey folks Iowahawk has a special guest columnist:

Iowahawk Special July 4 Guest Commentary by Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi

Americans are famous for their diversity, and nowhere is this diversity more on display than in the various ways we celebrate the Fourth of July. Whether you are a traditional infidel enjoying hot dogs and cold watermelon, a recent immigrant infidel celebrating your new citizenship with a colorful piata full of sweet treats, or like me, a not-as-yet-arrived-there-American who celebrates our independence through videotaped beheadings, we Americans have an almost infinite variety of ways of lighting up the Fourth.ÔøΩ

LGF is linking and I replied:

AMEN BROTHER!

Now hear this. We will wipe you silly little a$$ and your ideology of hate and evil that does not recognize the univesial truth of the free will of men and women from the face of the earth!

AND MY GOD BLESS AMERICA!

LGF Link

Jul 4, 2005 - 2:12 pm 12. Connecticut Yankee:

My maternal grandmother’s two grandfathers emigrated from Germany to southeastern Pennsylvania just before the Civil War. As new citizens, they had no hesitation about joining the local regiment of Pennsylvania volunteers when the war began. Both of them were in the Union forces at Gettysburg. Nana always thought it was fitting that the decisive day at Gettysburg was the day before the Fourth, as that battle was about freedom too.

A big HOO-AH and THANK YOU to all the men and women who wear our country’s uniform today, wherever you are serving.

Jul 4, 2005 - 2:37 pm 13. Buddy Larsen:

Delightful, thought-provoking, link-rich thread–thank you all, may you be blessed by the Diety of your choice, and the land of the free and the home of the brave, you gotta love her.

Jul 4, 2005 - 4:00 pm 14. Buddy Larsen:

And right, no hard feelings, Peter!

Jul 4, 2005 - 4:02 pm 15. Silicon valley Jim:

More, and somewhat O/T, on immigrants and the United States. We’ve had a couple of posts here referring to the American Quartet. The reference is to a musical ensemble (there’s an American String Quartet today, and they’re extraordinarily good). There’s also a piece of music, a string quartet, nicknamed the ‘American’. It’s by Antonin Dvorak. He came to the United States to serve as the first director of the National Conservatory of Music in NYC. He spent the summer of 1893 in the hometown of his Czech-born secretary – Spillville, Iowa, and it was there that he wrote the quartet. I’m listening to it now. Dvorak did return to his native Bohemia, but he wrote not only the ‘American’ quartet but also his cello concerto and, of course, the ‘New World’ symphony in the United States.

Jul 4, 2005 - 4:16 pm 16. Brown Line:

photoncourier – Boswell commented as follows on Johnson’s assertion: “But let it be considered, that he [Johnson] did not mean a real and generous love of our country, but that pretended patriotism which so many, in all ages and countries, have made a cloak for self interest.” (”The Life of Samuel Johnson”, Everyman’s Library edition, page 543.) Johnson himself was a staunch patriot, though one who at times was sharply critical of his country’s leaders and their policies. I think that today’s scoundrels tend to use “equality” and “compassion” and “tolerance” instead of patriotism to cloak their self interest; but the breed is same, “in all ages and countries”.

Jul 4, 2005 - 4:28 pm 17. richard mcenroe:

Richard Nieporent ó I just saw a picture of the , er, ship Great Granpa came to this country aboard. My God, he must have wanted to get out of Ireland in the worst way…

Jul 4, 2005 - 5:46 pm 18. Buddy Larsen:

If it was during the Potato Famine, no wonder–an actual killing famine of great intensity.

In the President’s July 4 speech in West Virginia, he recommended dropping in on

http://WWW.americasupportsyou.mil

Jul 4, 2005 - 5:58 pm 19. mrp:

SV Jim -

Thanks for the Dvorak post. After reading it, it occured to me that listening to his New World symphony would be just the ticket to finish out the evening.

PBS recently aired a program titled ‘Dvorak And America’ that covered his years in the US. Quite enjoyable.

Jul 4, 2005 - 8:26 pm 20. Kyda Sylvester:

My paternal grandparents’ names are on the Ellis Island Immigrant Wall of Honor. An Irish lass from the Connemara and an English lad from Liverpool who met on the voyage over and raised a family of seven in Brooklyn. Their third son married a southern belle whose family has been in North Carolina since the early 1700’s. My American heritage.

Happy Independence Day, Roger and everyone. Thank you to all who protect us. Happy Birthday, America. God Bless.

The second of July 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America…It ought to be soleminzed with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward, for ever more.

John Adams in a letter to his wife July 3, 1776, on the occasion of the July 2nd Continental Congress vote for independence. He had the right idea anyway.

SVJ–listening to New World Symphony as I type. Thanks for reminding me.

Jul 4, 2005 - 8:26 pm 21. Kyda Sylvester:

Well, mrp, I guess you owe me a coke.

Jul 4, 2005 - 8:27 pm 22. mrp:

Note to self: Kyda – one Coke. Stay the hell out of NYC. No more Dvorak comments – Roger’ll probably want case of Red if I mention Slovakian dances.

Jul 4, 2005 - 8:46 pm 23. mrp:

Or Slavonic dances (it’s late).

Jul 4, 2005 - 8:51 pm 24. Morgan:

Here’s my favorite clip of patriotic music. Nothing like four-part harmony…

http://www.gashousegang.com/media/rams.mpg

Believe it or not, that cheer happened before 9/11. In some parts of the country, I’m happy to say, patriotism never went out of style.

Happy Fourth to all (fifth, now, for some of us).

Jul 4, 2005 - 10:00 pm 25. triticale:

The ship which brought my father’s family to Ellis Island in 1912 wasn’t that bad looking, but I found nd it amusing that a Gruzian (Georgian) family which sailed out of a Prussian port did so on a ship called the Kursk. I would have thought that my mother came thru there also, but if so the family name I’m checking is way wrong.

As I understand it, my father was naturalized as an infant when his parents were, but reaffirmed it as an adult and those naturalization papers were among his prized possesions.

Jul 5, 2005 - 4:14 pm

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