Happy Birthday, America!

[JamesStaley]

Just wanted to say "Happy 240th Birthday, America!" May it be a safe and fun one for everyone!
JS

[amigocabal]

Thank you

[Eternal_Freedom]

Aren't you a day early?

[Borgholio]

Aren't you a day early?

Depends on how you look at it. The war actually started nearly a year and a half before the Declaration was signed.

[The Romulan Republic]

Yes, its early, though almost on time if you're in a time zone on the other side of the planet.

Well, an early happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans.

To quote the Declaration of Independence:

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

Those words to me best summarize the meaning of this day, and the country, both because they describe the highest ideals to which America aspires, and because they serve as a reminder that those ideals have yet to be fully lived-up too.

Sadly, I don't get to do much celebrating up here in Canada. We had our closest equivalent (Canada Day) two days ago.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Disclaimer: "All men are created equal" only applicable post 1960's Civil Right Movement.

[Captain Seafort]

Further disclaimer: Inalienable rights to life and liberty not applicable under a very long list of capital and imprisonable offences.

[Channel72]

To quote the Declaration of Independence:

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

Meh... needs more FDR. Please add another bill of rights.

Further disclaimer: Inalienable rights to life and liberty not applicable under a very long list of capital and imprisonable offences.

Yeah... but a lot of those imprisonable offences don't really apply to me because I'm white, so it's all good. Also, fuck your oppressive British spelling of "offenses".

Anyway, now would be a great time to listen to our national anthem.

[Captain Seafort]

Further disclaimer: Inalienable rights to life and liberty not applicable under a very long list of capital and imprisonable offences.

Yeah... but a lot of those imprisonable offences don't really apply to me because I'm white, so it's all good. Also, fuck your oppressive British spelling of "offenses".

Well fuck your treasonous colonial oppression of the letters "c" and "u".

[Gandalf]

My favourite thing about 4/7 is Chris Rock's tweet on the subject a few years ago.

"Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks"

[Eternal_Freedom]

Happy Treason Day you damned colonials etc etc.

[Broomstick]

As a dedicated capitalist I volunteered to work the 4th for that sweet, sweet time-and-a-half pay, to be followed by hot dogs, chips/crisps and cheap alcohol. I also have the 5th off, so the eating and drinking may well continue into the night. No point in trying sleep with all the gunpowder going >!BOOM!< in the neighborhood.

[Guardsman Bass]

Happy pre-Independence Day, America!

I got some good plans lined up for tomorrow. BBQ at a friend's, followed by a shit-ton of fireworks.

[Napoleon the Clown]

As a dedicated capitalist I volunteered to work the 4th for that sweet, sweet time-and-a-half pay, to be followed by hot dogs, chips/crisps and cheap alcohol. I also have the 5th off, so the eating and drinking may well continue into the night. No point in trying sleep with all the gunpowder going >!BOOM!< in the neighborhood.

My wife gets to work the 4th, too! But at her normal pay rate, because the owner of company is a fucking asshole.

For my part, BBQ with extended family.

[Flagg]

And we shall celebrate by those with the smallest dicks blowing up things making the loudest noise, as is tradition! For unless it feels like you are in Der Fuhrer Bunker, it's not really the randomly assigned day picked to observe fat white guys signing things! Hurrah!

[K. A. Pital]

Let's start with the fact that men were not created and there was no creator...

Happy holidays though, it is the last time that the fucking capitalists can't take away from the working class.

[Flagg]

Let's start with the fact that men were not created and there was no creator...

Happy holidays though, it is the last time that the fucking capitalists can't take away from the working class.

Depends on if you get paid vacations. I didn't. I didn't even get time and a half. Hell, I didn't even get lunch.

[The Romulan Republic]

Let's start with the fact that men were not created and there was no creator...

Happy holidays though, it is the last time that the fucking capitalists can't take away from the working class.

In all seriousness, if I could change two things in the passage in question, it would be to eliminate "Creator" (which implicitly favours monotheistic religion) and change "all men" to "all people" to reflect modern views on gender equality.

Not that I'm in favour of re-writing historical documents/revisionism. I simply wish that the men of that time had been able to see farther than they could.

Aside from those two details, though, I consider that passage of the Declaration of Independence a beautifully written summary of American democratic ideals.

Of course, it has a certain bitter irony in that it was written by a God damn slave-owner, but I do not feel that the sentiment is invalid simply because Thomas Jefferson was one of history's greatest hypocrites.

In fact, in a strange way, I think that that horrible irony gives the passage all the more power, and makes it all the more an ideal representation of the United States, as it both illustrates our best, our democratic principles, and embodies our worst, our failure to always live up to those principles.

[Flagg]

Let's start with the fact that men were not created and there was no creator...

Happy holidays though, it is the last time that the fucking capitalists can't take away from the working class.

In all seriousness, if I could change two things in the passage in question, it would be to eliminate "Creator" (which implicitly favours monotheistic religion) and change "all men" to "all people" to reflect modern views on gender equality.

Not that I'm in favour of re-writing historical documents/revisionism. I simply wish that the men of that time had been able to see farther than they could.

Aside from those two details, though, I consider that passage of the Declaration of Independence a beautifully written summary of American democratic ideals.

Of course, it has a certain bitter irony in that it was written by a God damn slave-owner, but I do not feel that the sentiment is invalid simply because Thomas Jefferson was one of history's greatest hypocrites.

In fact, in a strange way, I think that that horrible irony gives the passage all the more power, and makes it all the more an ideal representation of the United States, as it both illustrates our best, our democratic principles, and embodies our worst, our failure to always live up to those principles.

A slave owner who raped his slaves. Don't forget the rape part!

[The Romulan Republic]

Yup.

Jefferson was a talented political writer and thinker, and a morally bankrupt bastard.

[Flagg]

Yup.

Jefferson was a talented political writer and thinker, and a morally bankrupt bastard.

And some of the children could pass as white but due to the "one drop" principal... The Nazi's actually had a more "ethical" system in place if there is such a thing...

But we did good stuff! And things!

[Elfdart]

My favourite thing about 4/7 is Chris Rock's tweet on the subject a few years ago.

"Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks"

Samuel Johnson made a similar point at the time of the Revolution.

On a more pleasant July 4th note, I'm glad we celebrated yesterday and I did my grilling before the storms rolled in. Today has been rained out and there's no way in hell I'd serve ribeyes cooked in a pan or an oven.

[Rogue 9]

Yeah, that. We actually played it safe and did our fireworks on the 2nd. Pulled out all the stops this year.

[Raw Shark]

Happy Treason Day you damned colonials etc etc.

I've always preferred Good Riddance Day, myself.

It only attempted to kill me in three different ways this year. Huzzah!

[Flagg]

My poor dogs have only been afraid to go outside for 3 nights running. First motherfucker shoots a mortar off tonight and I'm cutting his cock and balls off with my trench knife, strapping the lil' Vienna Sausage and coinpurse to the next projectile and boom goes the next generation of cunt. I'd worry about the cops but they are so lazy they make security guards look like the DEA about to seize a $200 billion drug yacht.