Free Republic

"Tea-ed off" and ready to speak their mind. That's the way hundreds of Michiganders chose to spend their 4th of July. "As we celebrate our independence, we're re-declaring our independence from big government," Joan Fabiano, organizer of the event, says. In fact, folks say they're looking to follow in the footsteps of our founding fathers by throwing off the reins of what they say is an oppressive government. "We need to have our state represent us the most with the government handling things such as security," Supporter, Raedeane Middleton explains. "They're taking tax dollars and spending them the way we...

HAPPY 233rd BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!!! Week 182 roll call of our 9 Patriots included Legionnaires Dave (Army WWII) and friend Janet, retired Marine and VFW member Halsey, Lurker Bill, and FReepers Fraxinus, {Mrs} Trooprally, aka [Mrs] T, [Mr]Trooprally aka [Mr] T, Eager, and myself, GunsAreOk.A great Freep with cool weather considering the time of the year. We arrived at 10:00AM as did the moonbats. Three of their five who slunk away at 11:10; so, to honor the holiday and to contrast ourselves with their poor performance, we remained until 12 noon, thirty minutes past our normal time. Even the local transit...

Goodbye, Gringo America By Paul L. Williams, Ph.D.thelastcrusade.org It’s payback time for white America. "America's Palestinians" are on the march, chanting "Ahora es la tiempo por audacia"! Thousands of Latinos are gathering this Independence Day to celebrate the Farce of July. This annual all-day concert and street fair is held on Cesar Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles - - the heart of the barrio. The event is sponsored by the Aztlan Underground to uphold the claim that the Southwest portion of the United States had been stolen from Mexicans and Mexican Americans by Yankee colonialists under the leadership of...

From what I understand, the Portland, Beaverton and Hillsboro Tea Parties were all combined as one entry in the Hillsboro, Oregon 4th of July Parade. It seemed to me that this was the largest group of people in any entry. Lots of people were there. Here are some thumbnail images, click on them to see the full-sized picture. Enjoy!

The soldiers expressed their gratitude over and over to the NFL coaches who made the trip to Iraq. "They kept thanking us," said the Tennessee Titans' Jeff Fisher. "We kept thanking them." Fisher, the New York Giants' Tom Coughlin, the Baltimore Ravens' John Harbaugh, former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden are taking part in the first NFL-USO coaches tour over the Fourth of July weekend. A world they knew only through the distant glimpses of news reports turned very real for the coaches as they met with hundreds of soldiers in three...

Consider this a public service announcement - like one of those "More You Know" segments on Saturday morning TV or one of those "Knowledge is Power" bits from G.I. Joe. Today's topic is "trolling," a common practice on forums, message boards and blog comments. The Urban Dictionary defines trolling as "the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet" usually just because you can. By why would anyone do this? Are people really so bored that they see insulting other people as a form of entertainment? There are a lot of complex psychological factors involved with trolling, but I...

ASCAP Makes Outlandish Copyright Claims on Cell Phone Ringtones EFF Argues Phones Ringing in Public Do Not Violate Copyright Law New York - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) urged a federal court Wednesday to reject bogus copyright claims in a ringtone royalty battle that could raise costs for consumers, jeopardize consumer rights, and curtail new technological innovation.Millions of Americans have bought musical ringtones, often clips from favorite popular songs, for their mobile phones. Mobile phone carriers pay royalties to song owners for the right to sell these snippets to their customers. But as part of a ploy to squeeze more...

New UC Davis leader denies wrongdoing in inquiries about student in previous job Saturday, Jul. 4, 2009 Incoming UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi was involved in an e-mail exchange that may have helped the daughter of a prominent Greek family gain acceptance to the University of Illinois, according to published reports. A campaign adviser to state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias e-mailed information about the teen to Katehi in February 2008 after being contacted by the Rev. Alexander Karloutsos, a politically connected Greek Orthodox priest, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday. Katehi then forwarded the details to a vice provost. After the student's...

Change And Repent, Bishop Tells Gays A senior Church of England bishop has called on homosexuals to repent and "be changed" in comments that have infuriated equality campaigners. By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent 04 Jul 2009 The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, has defended traditional biblical teachings on homosexuality and said the Church should not be "rolled over by culture". Dr Nazir-Ali spoke as tens of thousands of people, including Sarah Brown, the Prime Minister’s wife, joined the annual Pride London march to celebrate homosexual culture. A war of words broke out between Labour and the Conservatives over...

“I am considering a run for Congress,” Ashland County District Attorney Sean Duffy said in an interview Wednesday. “On Wednesday, I’m going down to Wausau to talk about what the future holds.” The Republican Party of Marathon County on Wednesday announced an event next week at Wausau Homes featuring a “very special announcement regarding the 7th Congressional District,” expected to be Duffy’s formal announcement. Duffy is active with the Republican Party of Wisconsin, but he is perhaps best known as a former cast member on the MTV reality show “The Real World: Boston” in 1997. His conservative political views were...

On this Independence Day, I am so very proud of all those who have chosen to serve our great nation and I honor their selflessness and the sacrifices of their families, too. If I may, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the last 24 hours and share my thoughts with you. First, I want to thank you for your support and hard work on the values we share. Those values led me to the decision my family and I made. Yesterday, my family and I announced a decision that is in Alaska’s best interest and it...

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” – The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 These are powerful and truthful words; words that officially launched a war; words that birthed a nation. These words, written by...

In the third installment of the TEA Party, the one here in Chicago was held at Navy Pier. The crowd size was decidedly underwhelming. The last one, on tax day, had several thousand people. This installment had several hundred at best. The organizer of the event was Christina Tobin of the Free and Equal Coalition.

For months now, I have consulted with friends and family, and with the Lieutenant Governor, about what is best for our wonderful state. I even made a few administrative changes over that course in time in preparation for yesterday. We have accomplished so much and there’s much more to do, but my family and I determined after prayerful consideration that sacrificing my title helps Alaska most. And once I decided not to run for re-election, my decision was that much easier – I’ve never been one to waste time or resources. Those who know me know this is the right...

Here is a video report on the news that former NFL Quarterback Steve McNair has been found shot to death at his home in Nashville, Tennessee. . . . . (Watch Video)

Ousted President Manuel Zelaya has vowed to return to Honduras on Sunday, despite being threatened with arrest. In a speech on the regional TV channel, Telesur, Mr. Zelaya said he woul arrive along with several other presidents. Mr. Zelaya, who was forced out by the military on Sunday, criticised the leaders of the interim government and described them as traitors. The Organization of American States is holding an extraordinary session and is expected to vote to suspend Honduras. "I am organising my return to Honduras....This is the return of the president elected by the soverign will of the people," he...

A top Symantec executive has hit out at free antivirus software, including Microsoft’s Microsoft Security Essentials, warning consumers that it won’t be enough to keep them safe. Speaking to BLORGE, David Hall, Symantec’s Product Manager Asia-Pacific Consumer Products and Solutions said that free antivirus software isn’t able to keep up with full-price suites like those offered by Symantec.“If you are only relying on free antivirus to offer you protection in this modern age, you are not getting the protection you need to be able to stay clean and have a reasonable chance of avoiding identity theft,” he said.Hall also dismissed...

We, the collective citizens of the United States of America, as the employer of the president of the United States, demand that he produce his original passport application and appropriate documentation; his undergraduate college records including all the application, scholarship information and appropriate documentation for such; his Harvard Law School application, scholarship information and appropriate documentation for such; and his original long form certificate of live birth for our inspection and approval. The vetting process for Mr. Obama to run as a candidate for the office of president of the United States FAILED to obtain ALL of the required information...

Unfortunately I am unable to attend this event at Southfork Ranch (yes, JR Ewing's place!) due to the high temps (100 degrees at this moment 4:45 pm) but Breitbart has provided live video stream of the events there.

Syria's first lady has put out the welcome mat for the Obamas, a further sign that the once frosty relations between the two nations is thawing. In an interview with Britain's Sky News, Asma al Assad envisioned her husband, Bashar, and Barack Obama joining forces. "The fact is President Obama is young," al Assad said, "and President Assad is also very young as well, so maybe it is time for these young leaders to make a difference in the world." Asma was born in London and moved to Damascus after marrying Bashar al Assad nine years ago. Last week, the...