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Listen to/download the audio files (or better yet, subscribe) at http://podcast.SonOfOdin.net/.

As you were…

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Welcome to the Mosh Pit

Whatever... you guys still suck..

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God Bless America

Today is the 4th of July. It is the anniversary of the day that the United States of America declared its Independence. The people who drafted the formal Declaration of Independence had absolutely no clue what the United States would do or become. It was irrelevant. The entire purpose was to create a body of governments and lands that worked together with the people to give them the choice of how their world would be shaped and how they could shape the world.

The first bits of the text (the full text is available here)of this brilliantly crafted (though using datable language) is as follows :

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,[71] 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.

Others have cited this and the following document or repeated their wording (the French constitution uses BOTH documents as referent.)

What follows is the text of another document… written in response to the most important July 4th in U.S. History. Perhaps the most important date in U.S. History two times.. was the 4th of July. December 7th, 1941 was a date that has lived in infamy.. but July 4th has decided not just the fate of our nation, but the fate of all nations of the Earth. It was twice the date when people stood up, offered their lives and livelihoods to state that “all men are created equal.”

July 4th, 1776 was the date on which the United States declared independence from tyranny and oppression. July 4th, 1863 marked the resolution of the high water mark of another struggle, more costly in terms of morale, humanity, property, and suffering than any in the history of the United States. One in which the United states was faced with the most confounding, and ironic, moral and political dilemma it ever faced… before or since. This was the American Civil War. A misnomer because the Americas have seen many civil wars, but this one marked the beginning of “total war” in which every person, man, woman, and child was deprived and forced to participate in a complete struggle for survival… a pattern that continues to this day… But to its credit, and in this case, the United States prevailed, and became a strong, and though sometimes flawed and misguided, powerful beacon of hope and potential for the world.

I am not the same caliber of orator or speech-writer as he who wrote and gave the following, so I will let his words speak for themselves. :

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Despite the fact that our current government and many of those before it have abused the rights, privileges, heritage, and spirit of these two works, they have stood the test of time. On this 4th of July let us remember that it is the unalienable right of every person to be free and let us pray that governments of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from this earth.

God Bless America

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Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph — so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

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