about 80 men, mostly farmers, made up the militia that formed up on the Lexington Common. They were facing around 500 regular British troops all spit and polished, bayonets glinting in the early morning sun.
The words of Captain John Parker, commander of the American militia never fail to choke me up:
“Stand your ground; don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
Samuel AdamsApril 19, 2012 8:49 am
Well, Ed, we are talking about rights here, not needs. No-one “needs” a copy of the New York Times. No-one “needs” a copy of 1984. No-one “needs” a copy of the Koran. But the First Amendment protects the right to keep and read them. Or, Ed, are you planning, after you take away our 33 round magazines, to take away our Bibles and our copies of Algernon Sidney?
ClaireApril 19, 2012 8:57 am
In comments posted elsewhere but even more appropriate here …
Ragnar wrote
FYI, I noticed on Facebook, a place you’d never tread, that today is Radley’s birthday.
I responded
Radley’s birthday, hey? I didn’t know. Well, he’s definitely in good company.
It’s also Happy Birthday time for someone we hereabouts know and … well, not exactly love because how do you love a grubby old one-legged highly attitudinal desert rat? But he did pick an appropriate day to be born.
“Stand your ground; don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
Amen, UnReconstructed. The events of that April 19 are truly amazing. I think it’s time to sit down for a refreshing re-read of David Hackett Fischer’s Paul Revere’s Ride.
And to raise a glass to those brave, principled militiamen. And Mother Batherick, of course — whether she be real or myth:
Indeed, Samuel Adams. But first they come for our pigs and our dogs …
MApril 19, 2012 12:33 pm
“We may destroy all the men in America, and we shall still have all we can do to defeat the women.” — British General Lord Cornwallis
…Today – I say “Shoot Like a Girl…If you can!”
I’ll be celebrating next weekend by Instructing at an Appleseed!
ChemApril 19, 2012 4:09 pm
A good day to celebrate a time when we could change the mind of a lord.
Lord Percy left Boston claiming we were a rabble who would be subdued by a handful of regulars with bayonets. He returned to write “There are men among them that know very much what they are about.”
leonardApril 19, 2012 8:05 pm
The spirit of April 19th, today and always. Well written.
Jim B.April 19, 2012 10:09 pm
This seems a good place to see how far we have sunk.
This is a slide show and has some “Well, duh” info in them. It’s still interesting.
Some of you may believe it enough not to raise an eyebrow at any of it, however there may be some who would have trouble believing what they’re reading.
MichelleApril 20, 2012 7:26 am
April 19 1775
Amen Claire!
BakersGreenAcres.com…Mark Baker mentioned a book called April Morning about that fateful day. I think I’ll read it.
bumperwackApril 20, 2012 10:55 pm
Get some Claire!
Jim B.April 22, 2012 10:41 pm
Hey Claire,
How would you like to quit money, go live in a cave in Utah, and live on wild food and roadkill for 12 years? Well, this guy did:
about 80 men, mostly farmers, made up the militia that formed up on the Lexington Common. They were facing around 500 regular British troops all spit and polished, bayonets glinting in the early morning sun.
The words of Captain John Parker, commander of the American militia never fail to choke me up:
“Stand your ground; don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
Well, Ed, we are talking about rights here, not needs. No-one “needs” a copy of the New York Times. No-one “needs” a copy of 1984. No-one “needs” a copy of the Koran. But the First Amendment protects the right to keep and read them. Or, Ed, are you planning, after you take away our 33 round magazines, to take away our Bibles and our copies of Algernon Sidney?
In comments posted elsewhere but even more appropriate here …
Ragnar wrote
FYI, I noticed on Facebook, a place you’d never tread, that today is Radley’s birthday.
I responded
Radley’s birthday, hey? I didn’t know. Well, he’s definitely in good company.
It’s also Happy Birthday time for someone we hereabouts know and … well, not exactly love because how do you love a grubby old one-legged highly attitudinal desert rat? But he did pick an appropriate day to be born.
http://theultimateanswertokings.blogspot.com/
“Stand your ground; don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.”
Amen, UnReconstructed. The events of that April 19 are truly amazing. I think it’s time to sit down for a refreshing re-read of David Hackett Fischer’s Paul Revere’s Ride.
And to raise a glass to those brave, principled militiamen. And Mother Batherick, of course — whether she be real or myth:
http://boston1775.blogspot.com/2010/06/old-woman-called-mother-barberick.html
Algernon Sidney: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algernon_Sidney
Indeed, Samuel Adams. But first they come for our pigs and our dogs …
“We may destroy all the men in America, and we shall still have all we can do to defeat the women.” — British General Lord Cornwallis
…Today – I say “Shoot Like a Girl…If you can!”
I’ll be celebrating next weekend by Instructing at an Appleseed!
A good day to celebrate a time when we could change the mind of a lord.
Lord Percy left Boston claiming we were a rabble who would be subdued by a handful of regulars with bayonets. He returned to write “There are men among them that know very much what they are about.”
The spirit of April 19th, today and always. Well written.
This seems a good place to see how far we have sunk.
This is a slide show and has some “Well, duh” info in them. It’s still interesting.
http://www.yolohub.com/economy/40-weird-facts-about-the-united-states-that-are-almost-too-crazy-to-believe
Some of you may believe it enough not to raise an eyebrow at any of it, however there may be some who would have trouble believing what they’re reading.
April 19 1775
Amen Claire!
BakersGreenAcres.com…Mark Baker mentioned a book called April Morning about that fateful day. I think I’ll read it.
Get some Claire!
Hey Claire,
How would you like to quit money, go live in a cave in Utah, and live on wild food and roadkill for 12 years? Well, this guy did:
http://gizmodo.com/5904144/the-man-who-quit-money