Free Republic

With no Paul Revere to send out the warning bells, Independence Day 2014 progresses as the one in which a rogue U.S. president is lighting the match to toss into the dry tinder box called ‘The U.S.A Without Borders’.

We declared our independence from Great Britain 238 years ago this week. It was a declaration long in coming, brought about by the overreaching rule of King George III and Britain's insistence on taxation without representation. The taxation began in the 1760s, the Boston Massacre occurred in 1770, the Boston Tea Party in 1993 and the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April of 1775. Patrick Henry's call to action, "Give me liberty or give me death," was the first strong public statement that, if we were to be free, if we were to have liberty, then we would have...

Obviously, the safety issue is very important. But, I don't know a single gun owner who doesn't know when and where he/she can safely fire their weapons. Why do it? 1. America’s revolution was an armed revolution -- and not a fireworks display -- that led to the freedom of this nation. People died. People gave 'their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.' 2. Fireworks are nice, pretty, a crowd pleaser. And, for a country that understands their past, present, and future freedom, fireworks are a good reminder. When our own Veterans Administration can't remember that "Independence Day" is...

As we gather with family and friends this week to mark the Fourth of July, let us keep in mind the defining value that sets this nation apart – the founding principle that stands as our greatest cause for pride and celebration: that every American deserves an equal opportunity to achieve a happy and fulfilling life. Equality of opportunity is the driving force behind the American Dream. Yet while this Dream was born on a July day in 1776, one of its greatest strides toward full realization came on a July day in 1964. The enactment of the Civil...

Attention, veterans: Ignore your 2014 Department of Veterans Affairs calendar. Independence Day does not fall on July 3 this year. About 357,000 VA calendars given to veterans across most of Florida, southern Georgia and Puerto Rico mistakenly label Thursday, July 3, as Independence Day and remind veterans that VA outpatient clinics are closed today for the holiday. Apologies to the Founding Fathers. The Fourth of July still falls on July 4. So VA clinics actually will be closed Friday, not today. A VA spokeswoman said the error was not noticed by agency proofreaders before the calendar went to the printer...

It's the very symbol of patriotism -- Old Glory, as William Driver, a 19th-century American sea captain, nicknamed it. But even as we close in on Independence Day, more and more people across the country are calling the American flag a threat and inappropriate home garnishing. A week ago, the landlord of a Texas man called the American flag "a threat to the Muslim community" and ordered him to remove it from his home, according to KHOU-TV. Duy Tran said the Stars and Stripes means a lot to him. Posting the flag was the least he could do, he said,...

EUGENE, Ore. - If you refuse to take an alcohol breath test this Fourth of July weekend, be prepared to give blood. Eugene, Springfield and Oregon State police plan a "No Refusal Weekend" over the Independence Day holiday. Police plan to work in coordination with prosecutors and judges to quickly obtain "blood draw warrants" for drivers who refuse blood alcohol content testing.

In Oh, God, that engaging and thought-provoking comedy, John Denver played the part of a grocery store manager who was visited by God in the form of George Burns, as a senior citizen with an attitude. His mission was to change the world. Approaching July 4th, permit me to imagine a similar encounter with some Founding Fathers. After reading one of my columns, they come to help me do a better job of saving our country from debt, dependence and eventual tyranny. Paulson: "Why are you coming to me? I just write a column. Why don't you show up...

Hamas gave Israel a “gift” on its Independence Day on Tuesday, in the form of a video calling for genocide of Israelis. The animated video, released by Hamas’s so-called “military wing”, the Al-Kassam Brigades, called for resistance and for committing genocide against Jews living in Israel in order to “free Palestine”. The song in the video was to the tune of the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah, which means “the hope” in Hebrew. The Arabic words of the song twisted that message, warning that it is “the end of the hope” for Israel, that Israel was doomed, and that Jerusalem will...

James Rebhorn has died at the age of 65. The veteran character actor passed away at his home on Friday afternoon (March 21). Rebhorn is known for starring in Scent of a Woman opposite Al Pacino as Mr Trask and Independence Day as Secretary of Defense Albert Nimziki.

The 4th Of July and Why we need to boldy fight for religious freedomBy: Msgr. Charles Pope It is the Fourth of July and a day to reflect on Liberty, on Freedom. And yet many today have concerns that their freedom is being eroded by increasing and over-reaching governmental intrusion.And, while as Catholics steeped in the moral vision of the Scriptures and Tradition we seek to balance individual rights and the common good, we do rightly have concerns that one of our most fundamental rights recognized in the very First Amendment is being threatened by an unprecedented mandate that...

On the Fourth of July, in the United States of America we celebrate freedom. In particular we celebrate freedom from tyranny, and a government that is not representative; freedom from unchecked power and unaccountable sovereigns.Distorted and faithless notions - Yet, as Christians we cannot overlook that there are ways of understanding freedom today that are distorted, exaggerated and detached from a proper context. Many modern concepts of freedom treat freedom as something that faith limits, not enhances.Alexis De Tocqueville said Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith. In America today we are seeing the erosion of all...

With dozens of episodes of black mob violence in more than 15 cities over the Fourth of July, it is tempting to start with Chicago. Chicago was the site of several cases of black mob violence during the holiday fireworks, which city officials and local media downplayed or ignored. But the real story this year is not just that black mob violence is raging in places like Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, Atlanta and St. Louis. But racial violence is also striking smaller places like Greensboro, Buffalo, Wilkes-Barre, Tulsa, Cedar Rapids, Seaside Heights, Memphis, Fredericksburg, Uniondale, Fall River,...

The morning after Independence Day, Fox & Friends' fill-in hosts examined a 4th of July beer had that apparently has drawn the ire of some God-loving American conservatives. The commercial, played in its entirely on Fox, shows a bartender quoting the Declaration of Independence while pouring a Sam Adams. The problem? He neglects to mention that Americans' "unalienable rights" were "endowed by their creator." As host Clayton Morris explained, Sam Adams was simply obeying the the Beer Institute's guidelines on not using religion in commercials ... Jesse Watters wasn't quite so understanding. "When political correctness takes over the beer advertising...

Why did we name our beer Samuel Adams? He signed the Declaration of Independence, etc., etc., etc. Tag line: We're AMERICANS, we BOW to no KING!

This weekend I saw a commercial for Sam Adams beer that upset me. The commercial is called "Independence". It featers a guy ostensibly quoting the Declaration of Independence, except he deliberately omits a key phrase (just like Obama). Have you seen this commercial? Did you catch what was deliberately omitted?

Watch as a bunch of drooling half-witted college students proudly display their ignorance of why we celebrate Independence Day. They seem to be trying to prove how Un-Old-White-Man they are by laughing at questions about American history because “it’s meaningless dude.” These morons worked and voted for their own enslavement under the reign of “Cool King Barack” and have no idea who King George was. Let’s hope they enjoy it.

Ok, so I don't know if it came from a liberal town or not, but if I was a betting man...

The sequester cutbacks forced us to close the Big White to tours for school kids and people from flyover states. Butt thankfully we found enough money in the budget to host our annual Fourth of July party, concert and fireworks display in honor of Wee Won One’s 15th birthday party. (aka “Independence Day” in flyover) In order to avoid partisan criticism, we had to invite 1200 members of the military and their families to celebrate America’s 237th birthday along with WWO’s 15th. Fortunately we have now perfected the art of doing our photo ops in 10 minutes or less:   ...

It seems entirely revealing, if dispiriting, that the days before the July Fourth holiday showed Red America and Blue America pulling apart at an accelerating rate. Of all of our national holidays, Independence Day is the one most intimately rooted in our common history and shared experience. Yet this year it arrives against a background of polarization, separation, and confrontation in the states and Washington alike. With municipal politics as the occasional exception, the pattern of solidifying agreement within the parties—and widening disagreement between them—is dominating our decisions at every level.