DEC. 7, 1941: "A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY"

THE AMERICAN TRINITY

The United States is built on a foundation of three unique, core values that shall be known as the American Trinity.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: OLD INK, ETERNAL IDEALS

Following the announcement of the Declaration on July 4, 1776 and the eventual parchment version being signed on August 2, 1776, the document itself was neglected after the revolution.  Even early celebrations of Independence Day ignored the original statement of that independence.  It was the act that was thought important, not the text.

The Declaration became important again after the founding of political parties.  Once that happened, Jefferson's supporters used the fact that he wrote it to their political advantage.  This created heated back and forth over the document's authorship itself and eventually resulted in it being more prominently thought of in terms of importance of the text.  Even then, however, it wasn't until the 1850s that the document itself became important for more than historical reasons.

Once the abolitionist movement gained prominence in the early 1850s the "all men are created equal…" concept embedded in the Declaration became useful in the struggle to end slavery in the United States.

This usage of the text was taken up by Abraham Lincoln in 1854.  He felt that the Founding Fathers expected that slavery would be a dying institution in the new United States.   Lincoln also felt that the Declaration of Independence was one of the founding documents of the nation and not just a simple statement declaring secession from Britain.  He used this view frequently in his arguments against slavery:

"Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for some men to enslave others is a 'sacred right of self-government.' … Our republican robe is soiled and trailed in the dust. Let us repurify it. … Let us re-adopt the Declaration of Independence, and with it, the practices, and policy, which harmonize with it. … If we do this, we shall not only have saved the Union: but we shall have saved it, as to make, and keep it, forever worthy of the saving."

Lincoln's view that the Declaration was one of the founding documents in terms of defining the nation eventually became the nation's view, even though it was not predominately so before him.  This was an extremely important development in America's history in terms of interpreting the Constitution.

You can read more about the history of the document itself here. 

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

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.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness of his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

New Hampshire: 
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
    
Massachusetts: 
Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
    
Rhode Island: 
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
    
Connecticut: 
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
    
New York: 
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
    
New Jersey: 
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
    
Pennsylvania: 
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
    
Delaware: 
George Read, Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean
    
Maryland: 
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
    
Virginia: 
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
    
North Carolina: 
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
    
South Carolina: 
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
    
Georgia: 
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Paul Harvey provides additional information about the signers of the Declaration and the sacrifices they made for the cause of liberty.  It's called "Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor."  The story he tells is - like all the stories he tells - very inspirational.

RITUAL: THE 4TH OF JULY DECLARATION

The 4th of July is America's birthday. That's a big deal. This brief ceremony will help you bring meaning back into this holiday. It's easy and fun. Celebrate liberty!

We Americans need a ritual to remind ourselves of our national origins and our national purpose. That is why Prager University has created the Fourth of July Declaration Ceremony, which draws its inspiration from one of the most enduring rituals in the world: the Jewish Passover Seder. ("Seder" means "order" in Hebrew).

For thousands of years, the Passover Seder has helped Jews around the world remember that they are descendants of an enslaved people who were liberated by the mighty hand of God. The Founders of the United States (including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others) were all well-versed in the Bible and knew the story of the Israelite's exodus from Egypt. They viewed their break from England as a new exodus; so much so that Franklin and Jefferson wanted the seal of the newly-formed United States to depict the Israelites escaping across the Red Sea.

Even though that design was not chosen, the original historical inspiration still remains. Like the Passover seder, the Fourth of July Declaration Ceremony can be a powerful ritual that helps us transmit our love for this country to our children and grandchildren.

In keeping with our philosophy at Prager University that profound concepts can be taught in five minutes or less, we have kept the Declaration Ceremony brief. In our experience, adults find it meaningful and children find it fascinating.

If you follow our simple guide, the Fourth of July will be more than just another barbecue of fireworks display. It will become the kind of day it was meant to be: a celebration of the birth of our exceptional country, and a way of showing gratitude for the gift of liberty that has been bestowed upon us all.

You can always add more to your 4th of July Declaration, but we give you the basics here.

Doing a little will mean a lot - to you, to your family and friends, and to the nation.

Happy Independence Day!

AFTERBURNER: UNDER THE SEA

DEC. 7, 1941: "A DATE WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY"

AFTERBURNER: HAPPY WARRIORS

TOP 10 SYMBOLS OF AMERICA

They evoke pride and pleasure in Americans, reminding them of their past achievements and responsibility for the future.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: OLD INK, ETERNAL IDEALS

Following the announcement of the Declaration on July 4, 1776 and the eventual parchment version being signed on August 2, 1776, the document itself was neglected after the revolution.  Even early celebrations of Independence Day ignored the original statement of that independence.  It was the act that was thought important, not the text.

The Declaration became important again after the founding of political parties.  Once that happened, Jefferson's supporters used the fact that he wrote it to their political advantage.  This created heated back and forth over the document's authorship itself and eventually resulted in it being more prominently thought of in terms of importance of the text.  Even then, however, it wasn't until the 1850s that the document itself became important for more than historical reasons.

Once the abolitionist movement gained prominence in the early 1850s the "all men are created equal…" concept embedded in the Declaration became useful in the struggle to end slavery in the United States.

This usage of the text was taken up by Abraham Lincoln in 1854.  He felt that the Founding Fathers expected that slavery would be a dying institution in the new United States.   Lincoln also felt that the Declaration of Independence was one of the founding documents of the nation and not just a simple statement declaring secession from Britain.  He used this view frequently in his arguments against slavery:

"Nearly eighty years ago we began by declaring that all men are created equal; but now from that beginning we have run down to the other declaration, that for some men to enslave others is a 'sacred right of self-government.' … Our republican robe is soiled and trailed in the dust. Let us repurify it. … Let us re-adopt the Declaration of Independence, and with it, the practices, and policy, which harmonize with it. … If we do this, we shall not only have saved the Union: but we shall have saved it, as to make, and keep it, forever worthy of the saving."

Lincoln's view that the Declaration was one of the founding documents in terms of defining the nation eventually became the nation's view, even though it was not predominately so before him.  This was an extremely important development in America's history in terms of interpreting the Constitution.

You can read more about the history of the document itself here. 

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

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.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness of his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

New Hampshire: 
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
    
Massachusetts: 
Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
    
Rhode Island: 
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
    
Connecticut: 
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
    
New York: 
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
    
New Jersey: 
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
    
Pennsylvania: 
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
    
Delaware: 
George Read, Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean
    
Maryland: 
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
    
Virginia: 
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
    
North Carolina: 
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
    
South Carolina: 
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
    
Georgia: 
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Paul Harvey provides additional information about the signers of the Declaration and the sacrifices they made for the cause of liberty.  It's called "Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor."  The story he tells is - like all the stories he tells - very inspirational.

RITUAL: THE 4TH OF JULY DECLARATION

The 4th of July is America's birthday. That's a big deal. This brief ceremony will help you bring meaning back into this holiday. It's easy and fun. Celebrate liberty!

We Americans need a ritual to remind ourselves of our national origins and our national purpose. That is why Prager University has created the Fourth of July Declaration Ceremony, which draws its inspiration from one of the most enduring rituals in the world: the Jewish Passover Seder. ("Seder" means "order" in Hebrew).

For thousands of years, the Passover Seder has helped Jews around the world remember that they are descendants of an enslaved people who were liberated by the mighty hand of God. The Founders of the United States (including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and others) were all well-versed in the Bible and knew the story of the Israelite's exodus from Egypt. They viewed their break from England as a new exodus; so much so that Franklin and Jefferson wanted the seal of the newly-formed United States to depict the Israelites escaping across the Red Sea.

Even though that design was not chosen, the original historical inspiration still remains. Like the Passover seder, the Fourth of July Declaration Ceremony can be a powerful ritual that helps us transmit our love for this country to our children and grandchildren.

In keeping with our philosophy at Prager University that profound concepts can be taught in five minutes or less, we have kept the Declaration Ceremony brief. In our experience, adults find it meaningful and children find it fascinating.

If you follow our simple guide, the Fourth of July will be more than just another barbecue of fireworks display. It will become the kind of day it was meant to be: a celebration of the birth of our exceptional country, and a way of showing gratitude for the gift of liberty that has been bestowed upon us all.

You can always add more to your 4th of July Declaration, but we give you the basics here.

Doing a little will mean a lot - to you, to your family and friends, and to the nation.

Happy Independence Day!

REMEMBERING D-DAY: JUNE 6, 1944 IN COLOR

THIS DAY IN TWITCHY: MAY 24, 2015

'Stop digging': Politico reporter smacked down for 'liberal gaslighting' over Obama ice cream picture

Hey @GlennThrush, some of us tend to associate Memorial Day with the guys we lost and not a narcissist with a cone. https://t.co/Suabv6msa0

— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) May 24, 2015

'Never forget': Katie Pavlich, others highlight Rolling Thunder weekend in D.C.

Only in America. A beautiful day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom #MemorialDay2015 pic.twitter.com/veQ2NLUopv

— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) May 24, 2015

#KnowTheDifference: Citizens emphasize the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day (Obama flashback)

#GoldStarFamilies already #KnowTheDifference 1.3 million Americans have given their lives in combat #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/EjFr8EpXe4

— GoldStarSDIT (@GoldStarSDIT) May 24, 2015

'Died so they could write their drivel': Salon 'idiots' slam the military on eve of Memorial Day

Solid Memorial Day weekend effort from Salon. pic.twitter.com/HdRknjOOAz

— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) May 24, 2015

'Reminding us of the meaning of Memorial Day': Jake Tapper's feed features those who paid the ultimate sacrifice

@jaketapper CPL Carlos M. Gonzalez KIA Tikrit, Iraq age 22. This is his mom at Arlington today, his birthday. pic.twitter.com/omGKZslUg4

— Katie Boots (@KatieBootsDC) May 24, 2015

Bill Nye the Constitutional Scholar Guy: The highest form of patriotism is science - or something

@voxdotcom Who, exactly is denying science? Oh yeah, Mr. Straw man.

— Greg (@Flying59Vette) May 24, 2015

Trigger warning and safe space alert: Michelle Obama set to speak at Oberlin tomorrow

Oberlin activists had "safe space" for those triggered by my talk.Oberlin admin. provided police security to protect me from safe spacers.

— Christina H. Sommers (@CHSommers) April 21, 2015

DNC finally thanks the military on Memorial Day weekend after ice cream and 15% off merchandise tweets

Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone! pic.twitter.com/TMBSu187Pb

— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) May 22, 2015

'Another damned cowardly ambush': Police officers killed in Colorado, New Orleans

Another damned cowardly ambush. Breaks my heart, nobody deserves to die alone. Rest easy, we'll find the SOB... http://t.co/NPIphwDFOd

— David Smith (@thebucksavage) May 24, 2015

Breaking: Bomb squad detonates suspicious item near U.S. Capitol

What an honor to be a part of this beautiful event #MemDayPBS Live right now on @PBS #WashingtonDC #CapitolHill pic.twitter.com/PT1W3wslFc

— Gloria Estefan (@GloriaEstefan) May 25, 2015

REAGAN FLASHBACK, 1964: A TIME FOR CHOOSING

Nancy and Ronald Reagan in 1964, the year he delivered "The Speech"

In honor of President Ronald Reagan's 104th birthday, here is the entire televised speech he gave on October 27, 1964 on behalf of the Goldwater campaign.  It was titled "A Time For Choosing" and now remembered simply as "The Speech."  The name of the program was "A Rendezvous With Destiny."  The speech raised $1 million for Goldwater's campaign and is considered the event that launched Reagan's political career.

Among other things, it is remarkable (and frightening) how eerily similar the problems he addressed on that day are to the problems we face on this day, except that today they are even more acute.  And the rhetoric of the liberals is also quite familiar to us.  During the speech, Reagan uttered this famous quote:

Yet anytime you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we're denounced as being against their humanitarian goals. They say we're always "against" things -- we're never "for" anything.

Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.

You can read the complete transcript of the speech here.  I would strongly suggest that you take the time to listen to the entire speech and also read the transcript.  It is a magnificent example of why Reagan was known as the "Great Communicator" and it needs to be read as well as heard.  Here is an excerpt:

Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, "We don't know how lucky we are." And the Cuban stopped and said, "How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to." And in that sentence he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there's no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.

And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man.

This is the issue of this election: whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.

You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well I'd like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There's only an up or down: [up] man's old -- old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. And regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.

In this vote-harvesting time, they use terms like the "Great Society," or as we were told a few days ago by the President, we must accept a greater government activity in the affairs of the people. But they've been a little more explicit in the past and among themselves; and all of the things I now will quote have appeared in print. These are not Republican accusations. For example, they have voices that say, "The cold war will end through our acceptance of a not undemocratic socialism." Another voice says, "The profit motive has become outmoded. It must be replaced by the incentives of the welfare state." Or, "Our traditional system of individual freedom is incapable of solving the complex problems of the 20th century." Senator Fulbright has said at Stanford University that the Constitution is outmoded. He referred to the President as "our moral teacher and our leader," and he says he is "hobbled in his task by the restrictions of power imposed on him by this antiquated document." He must "be freed," so that he "can do for us" what he knows "is best." And Senator Clark of Pennsylvania, another articulate spokesman, defines liberalism as "meeting the material needs of the masses through the full power of centralized government."

Well, I, for one, resent it when a representative of the people refers to you and me, the free men and women of this country, as "the masses." This is a term we haven't applied to ourselves in America. But beyond that, "the full power of centralized government" -- this was the very thing the Founding Fathers sought to minimize. They knew that governments don't control things. A government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they know when a government sets out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the private sector of the economy.

"Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they are ignorant, but that they know so much that isn't so."

YESTERDAY'S HEADLINES TODAY - VOL. 478

Walker for President? WI Gov's Rise Has Similarities to Reagan

The Nation Needs President Scott Walker In 2016

Walker: Hillary's "old, tired" … approach to governance

Hillary Donor Under Investigation in Counterintelligence Probe

Moonbats: When the GOP Wins, Politics Is 'Dysfunctional'

The myth of the permanent majority

Mock the Vote: Elections and liberty are not the same

To All Our Veterans On Veterans Day: Welcome Home

A Military Family on Veteran's Day

Veterans Recall: Father Capodanno Sacrificed Life for Fellow Marines

THIS DAY IN TWITCHY: NOVEMBER 10, 2014

'Rotten to the core': O-care architect Gruber thankful for 'stupidity of the American voter'

Gruber's message was: Of course we had to lie to pass Obamacare. Wouldn't have passed otherwise. http://t.co/LkThEbvdap
— Byron York (@ByronYork) November 10, 2014

In light of current revelations, I believe We The People do have the right to appeal #ObamaCare. We were knowingly lied to about it. #Gruber
— BiasedGirl (@BiasedGirl) November 10, 2014

Yup. "Gruber may believe that American voters are stupid, but he was the one dumb enough to say all this on camera" http://t.co/QrXb9qlus4
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) November 10, 2014

'Social media works!' Twitter pressure helps suspend teacher who tweeted 'crackers' should 'Kill yourselves'

LOL @duckseason6 locks her account down after being called out for her racist tweet against whites! A Teacher no less! Pathetic #tcot
— Virgil Edwards (@IrvinePatriot) November 8, 2014

MT @TheHappyPelican Meet racist @duckseason6 She's a TEACHER! make her famous,hope her employer sees this #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/Bgnpx3OV3w
— betseyross (@betseyross) November 8, 2014

@jarhead5377 I would like to see her grade book. Does "cracker" Johnny, get lower grades because he is white? @ArlingtonISD @duckseason6
— Mrz Mazz (@mrzmazz) November 8, 2014

PATRIOTS: If you come across racist tweets from teachers like @duckseason6 please post them w/screenshots under #FireRacistTeachers #tcot
— Virgil Edwards (@IrvinePatriot) November 8, 2014

@Shaftan @duckseason6 Just received a phone call from nice official at Duncanville High informing me that Hegwood suspended w/o pay.
— SC LovesLiberty (@sharonrc) November 10, 2014

A great many of my friends will be pleased to know that duckseason6 was suspended without pay this morning. pic.twitter.com/L2KvT72Omx
— Chris Keniston (@NoFear3136) November 10, 2014

Racist TX Black School Teacher @Duckseason6 deleted her account Thanks to everyone that RT’ed that hate and put her face on it! #WAARMedia
— Wayne Dupree ★彡 (@WayneDupreeShow) November 9, 2014

Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up: Ash is back

http://t.co/mnFiIHqG2u Spread the word - Ash is back! pic.twitter.com/clRo5RqAOf
— Bruce Campbell (@GroovyBruce) November 10, 2014

APEC Trek: Mark Knoller spots missing accessory on Obama's outfit

This new Star Trek reboot is terrifying. #auspol pic.twitter.com/BeeubZ0jem
— Colin Barnett (@PremierofWA) November 10, 2014

It's a tradition that each year the APEC host provides shirt or jacket for the other leaders as sign of cooperation. pic.twitter.com/WN3A7K6TZD
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 10, 2014

Not all leaders wearing their communicator pins. pic.twitter.com/P6bz0VBi7s
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 10, 2014

Guess Obama hasn't graduated Starfleet Academy yet. “@markknoller: Not all leaders wearing their communicator pins. pic.twitter.com/rvqgcc6CDv”
— Joel Mendelson (@JPMendelson) November 10, 2014

'Sinister as all hell!' Some people totally nailed what Obama looks like in embarrassing APEC outfit

sinister as all hell pic.twitter.com/R6QErvy4lj
— Milo Yiannopoulos (@Nero) November 10, 2014

Sith Lord. RT @bennyjohnson: Obama, Jedi pic.twitter.com/GUSGY6e8T1
— laurakfillault (@laurakfillault) November 10, 2014

@bennyjohnson On Nov 4, he felt a great disturbance in the force.
— Zachary Graves (@ZacharyGraves) November 10, 2014

'Wussy Galore': Is Obama trying to be the next Bond Villain?

Name this James Bond villain #WAARMedia #tcot #tiot #ccot #tlot #lnyhbt #TeaParty pic.twitter.com/FWeAZXWr4k
— Wayne Dupree ★彡 (@WayneDupreeShow) November 11, 2014

Goofy APEC outfits make for hilarious parody

@emzanotti @redsteeze Absolutely. pic.twitter.com/EW8ai8ws2F
— EJ Hill (@RicochetEJHill) November 11, 2014

Chinese communists awed by Comrade Obola's costume at APEC summit . #tcot #RedNationRising http://t.co/8D419khsPm pic.twitter.com/6uGqtADoe2
— pRESIDENT ALIEN (@pRESIDENT_ALIEN) November 11, 2014

Another theory about Obama's sartorial choices. pic.twitter.com/YBjwmjlGjq
— Amelia (@AmeliaHammy) November 11, 2014

'Spit take!' Amnesty plus this caption for Obama's APEC photo equals pure gold. GOLD

"I hereby grant full amnesty to all Romulan ships entering the Neutral Zone." pic.twitter.com/G5cTl2ZAB2
— Cuffé (@CuffyMeh) November 10, 2014

We have a winner RT @CuffyMeh: "I hereby grant full amnesty to all Romulan ships entering the Neutral Zone." pic.twitter.com/S1vxi66vWY”
— Mike B (@nightflyblog) November 10, 2014

'The Voice's' Reagan James assembling quite the conservative cheering section

my 16th bday is results night guys pls vote for me monday so I wont cry on my own bday @blakeshelton #voiceplayoffs pic.twitter.com/E27Jf0C6jK
— Reagan James (@thereaganjames) November 9, 2014

Hugh has spoken! So be it! RT “@hughhewitt: @thereaganjames on The Voice Tonight. Don't miss and be sure to support her” #VoicePlayoffs
— Susan Cloud (@ProducerSusan) November 10, 2014

Thanks, Senator! MT @RickSantorum I'll be watching my friend @thereaganjames on @NBCTheVoice. Call in & vote...great talent. #VoicePlayoffs
— Susan Cloud (@ProducerSusan) November 10, 2014

Good luck to the talented & adorable @thereaganjames in #voiceplayoffs tonight (& congrats mama @producersusan !)
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) November 11, 2014

omg faves ❤️ @bryanasalaz @thereaganjames pic.twitter.com/Qji9srCyHI
— Armin (@ArminHuber95) November 11, 2014

'When Harry Met the Door' and other #GOPWaveMovies

As Obama focuses on #NetNeutrality let's remind him who is driving the bus these days with #GOPWaveMovies @Artist_Angie
— Pol (@PointlessPol) November 11, 2014

The Hunt For Red November #GOPWaveMovies
— Pol (@PointlessPol) November 11, 2014

#GOPWaveMovies Harry Reid & The Goblet of Fail.
— AngieJediMaster (@Artist_Angie) November 11, 2014

#GOPWaveMovies Despicable She pic.twitter.com/aYsahdvhxe
— Lizzy Lou Who (@_wintergirl93) November 11, 2014

#GOPWaveMovies Crazy People pic.twitter.com/TOX1CdvXXk
— Lizzy Lou Who (@_wintergirl93) November 11, 2014

#GOPWaveMovies Bridge Over the River Cry
— Beaker O'Dunavan (@ODunavan) November 11, 2014

WINNER —> RT @dawnmh73: No Country for Orange Men #GOPWaveMovies pic.twitter.com/ysB0BeOv1P
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) November 11, 2014

There's Something About Maryland #GOPWaveMovies
— Manachronism (@djsmuzz) November 11, 2014

#GOPWaveMovies Love Story pic.twitter.com/aOJkUEPwfQ
— Lizzy Lou Who (@_wintergirl93) November 11, 2014

'Looking good for 239!' Birthday greetings pour in for US Marine Corps

HAPPY 239th BIRTHDAY to the @USMarineCorps! Join us for a special celebration at 6:30am/et! #betterwithfriends pic.twitter.com/pPAObsV9c2
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) November 10, 2014

A Very Special #MilitaryMonday,as We are on the Eve of VETERANS DAY & Celebrate the Birth of THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS-SEMPER FI ! #SOV
— Ken Wahl (@KenWahl1) November 10, 2014

Happy birthday @USMC! Thank you to all who've worn your uniform, including my Dad - who was so proud to be a Marine. #oorah!
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) November 10, 2014

Happy Birthday to the @USMarineCorps! We respectfully honor your complete badassness & continued willingness to protect our great nation!
— laurakfillault (@laurakfillault) November 10, 2014

#OTD Back in 1775, my Marine Corps came alive. Happy birthday, Marines! Semper Fi. pic.twitter.com/7l92jSqyzi
— U.S. Marines (@USMC) November 10, 2014

Happy 239th birthday, Marine Corps! pic.twitter.com/UCCEIBfWoz
— WoundedWarriorProj (@wwpinc) November 10, 2014

United States Marine Corps!Happy 239th Birthday! Pictured here with USMC Medal of Honor recipient, friend Robert E. … http://t.co/xT1Q80HYzs
— Gary Sinise (@GarySinise) November 10, 2014

Born to fight, trained to kill, ready to die, but never will. Happy 239th Birthday US Marine Corps. Merica. pic.twitter.com/CW4s6enuJD
— Cloyd Rivers (@CloydRivers) November 10, 2014