I Do Declare

Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County, Virginia was the plantation house of four generations of the Lee family of Virginia.

We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

Benjamin Franklin

On this day in 1776, The Continental Congress adopted the Lee Resolution severing ties with Great Britain. The wording of the formal Declaration of Independence was not adopted until July 4.

The Lee Resolution, also known as The Resolution for Independence, was the formal assertion passed by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, resolving that the Thirteen Colonies (then referred to as the United Colonies) were “free and independent States” and separate from the British Empire.

Richard Henry Lee is a great great great great uncle on my Dad’s side. His sister Anne, is in my direct line. True story.

I had a “discussion” with an online friend a couple of months ago regarding when the American Revolution actually began. He was adamant that it was April 19, 1775 with the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Sure that’s when the first shots were fired and we’re not discounting the importance.

Historic St. John’s Church, 1741

I contended, and still do, that the Revolution flames were fanned by the speech given by Patrick Henry on March 23, 1775 at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. You can still go there today (well, check their schedule) to hear and see a reenactment.

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

True story. If you grew up going to Virginia schools when I did, you had Virginia History one year. You would begin with Jamestown. By May you would be at the Civil War and have about a week, when none of us were paying attention, to study everything from 1870 forward.

The next year, you had American History, which began in Jamestown and got you to the Civil War by May. You see the pattern.

When I took American History in college I didn’t understand why we were talking about Massachusetts.

No need to quibble, there were important figures in both (then) colonies.

But I will note that, once it was all decided, Virginians were the ones to put it all in writing.

The main thing is that it happened and we should celebrate it.

I know it’s hard, considering what we saw (or avoided) at last week’s Presidential Debate. That was far from the vision of the Founding Fathers.

In fact I think if Uncle Richard and his Revolutionary friends could come back today, they’d look at all of us and say “We didn’t risk our lives for this shit.”

Maybe it’s time to read some history.

Maybe it’s time to stop the meme fights.

Maybe it’s time for real conversations.

It’s a good week for that.


 

IN OTHER NEWS

Trump immunity case: Supreme Court rules ex-presidents have substantial protection from prosecution
FOX News
In a 6-3 decision, the Court sent the matter back down to a lower court, as the justices did not apply the ruling to whether or not former President Trump is immune from prosecution regarding actions related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Boy Meets World alums William Daniels and Bonnie Bartlett Daniels celebrate 73 years of marriage
Entertainment TV
The Boy Meets World alums have officially been married for 73 years. At 97 and 95 years old respectively, Daniels and Bartlett Daniels hold the record for Hollywood’s longest-lasting marriage.

Biden Getting Nervous As Hillary Clinton Enters Emergency Family Meeting
The Babylon Bee
CAMP DAVID — President Biden began feeling rather nervous this morning when Hillary Clinton arrived for what was supposed to be an emergency family meeting about his campaign.

BORN ON THIS DAY

1877 – Hermann Hesse, German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1962)
1904 – René Lacoste, French tennis player and businessman, created the polo shirt (d. 1996)
1908 – Thurgood Marshall, American lawyer and civil rights activist, 32nd Solicitor General of the United States, and former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (d. 1993)
1925 – Medgar Evers, American soldier and activist (d. 1963)
1932 – Dave Thomas, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Wendy’s (d. 2002)
1937 – Richard Petty, American race car driver and sportscaster
1939 – John H. Sununu, American engineer and politician, 14th White House Chief of Staff
1946 – Ron Silver, American actor, director, and political activist (d. 2009)
1947 – Larry David, American actor, comedian, producer, and screenwriter

 

Available on Amazon.

BENEDICTION


 

Half Away the Old Year Passes

Close up of a soldier on the Virginia Memorial at Gettysburg. The U.S. Civil War Battle of Gettysburg began on this day in 1863. Photo by Andy Keyser on Unsplash

I need some new words.

For the past few years rather than rattling off resolutions to be broken by mid-January I’ve chosen three words for my annual focus. It’s something I learned from Chris Brogan and Rob Hatch.

I had a harder time doing that for My Three Words for 2024. The words were Flexible, Creative. Concerned. The last one was hard to choose, for whatever reason, so in April, I added the word Change. A lot has changed and will change in 2024.

Like my three words.

“I don’t go by the rule book… I lead from the heart, not the head.” Diana, Princess of Wales, was born on this day in 1961 (died 1997)

I’m taking the opportunity at this halfway point to change my three words for the year. Or at least to toss out three new words to focus on these next six months.

It’s the first day of the seventh month. We are officially halfway through the year.

Because I know what the rest of the year is beginning to look like, I need some new words. They are.

Regroup. Revive, Retire.

REGROUP – If you’re a long-term reader, as you should be, you’ll know I do this periodically, but it’s not been working as planned, mostly on the health front. Yes, we all know I need to drop some pounds, and I’ve been trying. But since the COVID scamdemic (too soon?) and The Late Great Unpleasantness of 2022 (™). I’ve not been able to bounce back as quickly as I would like. Not to whine too much, but minor inconveniences take a lot more out of me and require a lot more recovery time than they used to.

The Write Side Shop

Quite frankly, I’ve had enough and it’s time for some serious ass kicking. Mainly my own. But I know that I need to take it slowly. I spent a bit of time yesterday mapping out a plan. Don’t try to drink all the water, and cut out all the calories, and exercise like a fiend on the first day.

That and pay attention to what the doctors are telling me, and be totally honest with them.

This is season, not a life sentence. That’s a promise.

REVIVE – It’s related, but on some levels there’s still some burnout. I’m trying to revive my creative drive which means writing and art and theater and music. It also means narrowing the focus. Sometimes the burnout comes because I’m simply doing to much. Again, I can’t do it all in one day, or even a week.

RETIRE – Easy enough, or is it? My official retirement from the state job is September 1st. But even that means there’s a lot of work to be done. Figuring out insurance and paperwork. I mean there are more forms than you can shake a Social Security intake worker at.

There’s the clearing out of the office and the passing of the baton to the co-workers. I look around my office at the personal belongings I’ve accumulated downtown the the course of 30 years. It’s a lot of stuff. I don’t have room for it, but I don’t want to let it go. That means there’s some reorganizing and other stuff is going to go.

I realize that these are all my problems. You have your own set. And you can pick you’re own three words. You’re welcome to mine…either set of words for 2024.

I’m just taking this mid-point in the year to jumpstart mine

I’m moving forward. Maybe a little more slowly than I used to. But I’m moving.

Oh, and, y’all enjoy my birthday fireworks this week.

IN OTHER NEWS

Supreme Court poised to rule in Trump presidential immunity case on Monday
ABCNews
When the justices meet on Monday for a final day of opinions, they are expected to issue a blockbuster decision on whether a former president is shielded from criminal liability for “official acts” taken while in the White House.

It’s time for Biden to pass the torch
The Atlanta Journal Constitution Editorial Board
This wasn’t a bad night; it was confirmation of the worst fears of some of Biden’s most ardent supporters — that after 36 years in the U.S. Senate, eight more as vice president and a term in the White House, age has finally caught up to him.

Jill Biden Refuses To Drop Out Of Presidential Race
The Babylon Bee
WASHINGTON, DC — Following the disastrous Presidential debate, First Lady Jill Biden announced she will not drop out of the race despite growing calls from within the party to do so.

BORN ON THIS DAY

1906 – Estée Lauder, American businesswoman, co-founder of Estée Lauder Companies (d. 2004)
1925 – Farley Granger, American actor (d. 2011)
1931 – Leslie Caron, French actress and dancer
1934 – Jamie Farr, American actor
1934 – Sydney Pollack, American actor, director and producer (d. 2008)
1935 – David Prowse, English actor (d. 2020)
1936 – Wally Amos, American entrepreneur, founder of Famous Amos
1941 – Twyla Tharp, American dancer and choreographer
1942 – Andraé Crouch, American singer-songwriter, producer and pastor (d. 2015)
1952 – Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor, producer and screenwriter
1956 – Alan Ruck, American actor

 

Available on Amazon.

BENEDICTION