A thought for Independence Day
We have been watching (off and on) all day today a History Channel series on the American Revolution. During the course of the series I started doing the math.
It took 8 years for the Continental Army to win the war with England and another 6 years until the Constitution was ratified. That is 14 years total!
Today's patriots and politicians are now grumbling that the Iraqi people do not have their country "under control" after a scant 4 years.
It is a good thing, I think, that today's patriots and politicians were not in charge of our quest for independence. For if they were, we would still be a British colony today.
"These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorius the triumph."
Thomas Paine, The Crisis -- December 1776"
Words to ponder on this Independence Day. What if the "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots" had won out in 1776, or 1777 or 1778 when things were looking bleak for the Continential Army? Would we have held firm? I fear the answer is no.
It took 8 years for the Continental Army to win the war with England and another 6 years until the Constitution was ratified. That is 14 years total!
Today's patriots and politicians are now grumbling that the Iraqi people do not have their country "under control" after a scant 4 years.
It is a good thing, I think, that today's patriots and politicians were not in charge of our quest for independence. For if they were, we would still be a British colony today.
"These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorius the triumph."
Thomas Paine, The Crisis -- December 1776"
Words to ponder on this Independence Day. What if the "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots" had won out in 1776, or 1777 or 1778 when things were looking bleak for the Continential Army? Would we have held firm? I fear the answer is no.
Labels: Independence Day
posted by The Lady Logician at
8:01 PM
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