Let Freedom Ring!

[olde_fashioned]

With all its faults, America is a great and wonderful nation. Whether or not some choose to acknowledge it, God has blessed us with great wealth and great freedom. We might not always deserve the bounty of blessings this country enables us to enjoy, but we can always be grateful for them.

We, therefore, ought to remember. Remember those who went before us, those who suffered and endured for the sake of those who would come after them, people they would never even know. We are those people.

We the people...



A little present for my readers. ;-)

Happy Fourth of July, everyone!



God Bless the U.S.A.
If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife.
I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,

From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
and it’s time to stand and say:

I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.


~ By Lee Greenwood

Comments

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh. John Adams pitches such a fit at that painting in the HBO series. *Giggle* And then he gives a big long speech about how romanticism will wipe out the true history. *pats poor John*

Pretty wallpaper though. And good song. And happy forth! I'm driving up to Sacramento tonight... FUN. *rolls eyes*

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

LOL!!! Why, because they didn't paint him life-like enough? (or too much, haha?)

Thank you! (I love that song) And Happy Fourth to you too, even though it'll be spent inside a car. I hope you have patriotic cds!!

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

No, because the whole everyone-signing-the-constitution-at-one-time is a myth. None of them dared meet in groups at the time, so they came in and out at random over a period of several months.

Nope. But we did watch some of the fireworks on TV.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, okay. Well sure that's kind of "idealized" but how else was the artist supposed to get them all in the picture?

Hoorah. I got to listen to them being lit off even though they're illegal in my town. ;-P

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

That's what the artist said. John Adams replied that by "idealizing" the country we would loose our true history. Which is basically true. :)

I saw them being lit up around town some. :)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Granted. But seriously, what did JA want him to do?

People are still lighting them off. *rolls eyes*

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

He thought it was silly to paint it at all, I believe. He thought the guy should have just portrayed history as it was.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Well, I think everyone knows how I am about historical accuracy. But in this case, I think a grand and slightly-romanticized portrait is better than a bunch of "vignettes" depicting various men sneaking in and out of houses. ;-P It's meant to be powerful, to show what these men stood for, and that's best conveyed with a painting like the one the artist painted, IMVHO. ^-^ (I'm sure John Adams is rolling in his grave at me, but oh well!! lol)

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

I think for me (and John Adams) this painting/various paintings that are pretty but excepted as fact are as annoying as Braveheart = Scottish history or National Treasure = the meaning to the world is for you. :)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

8-/ You are endeavouring to disarm me by REASON! I can't say a single thing when presented with an argument like that, because you've got me. ;-P You're exactly right.

[midenianscholar.livejournal.com]

Reason is a stinker, eh? :D If it helps, I still like the painting for the thought and style. I just am irritated that I myself was ignorant of how the actual signing took place until John Adams blew his lid.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Heheh. I thought you might catch that quote? ;-P

Well, in all honesty and fairness I was ignorant of it, too, but I see both sides of the equation. Historical accuracy would have been best but since it's not exactly practicle to paint a bunch of little sequences or whatever, I can forgive it more than I can something else that's totally unexcusable, like Braveheart.

[airehen.livejournal.com]

COOL WALLPAPER

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Heheh, thank you! :-D

[boundandchained.livejournal.com]

You know, I was all, "eh, that painting as a wallpaper, eh..." but then I looked and it's great!

Happy Fourth!

[boundandchained.livejournal.com]

Okay, I've another question for you. Can you explain to me why, when in a Jane Austen book/movie/state of mind, Scotland is the choice destination for those wishing to elope? If you don't know, don't worry. I'm just curious and you seem like you might have the answer. :)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

I'm not exactly sure of all the technicalities, but IIRC it was because the laws were looser and therefore it was easier for a "suspicious" looking couple to sneak a marriage. ;-) I'd have to ask the ladies of Pemberley to be sure, but I've included one of their pages on Gretna Green for your amusement. :-)

http://www.pemberley.com/images/landt/maps/pp/GretnaGreen.html

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Heheh!! Thank you. :-)

[sakka.livejournal.com]

Beautiful patriotic wallpaper! Dare I ask if you have it in a bigger resolution? :D IF you don't, that's cool... I'm snagging it anyway!

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Actually, yes. Only Photobucket doesn't allow me to upload it any larger than 1024x768, but I made use of my idle DeviantART account and uploaded the 1280x1024 version for you there. :-)

http://olde-fashioned.deviantart.com/art/Declaration-of-Independence-90798269

[sakka.livejournal.com]

That's perfect! Thank you!

(Except now I can barely see it... must clean up desktop!!!)

(Oh, and random- I love your icon! That's one of my favorite paintings. :)

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Great! I'm glad it works for you. :-) And it was my pleasure.

As for a cluttered desktop, sometimes I prefer using a smaller size than fits my desktop, but blending the edges so that I can put a solid colored border around it for all the icons to sit unobscured. ;-D

You mean Lavoisier? I'm surprised you can recognize him I tortured him so much in GIMP!! ;-P But I adore that painting. Especially Marie-anne's dress and hair...*sigh*

[richinchrist.livejournal.com]

Hey, thanks for the picture. I set it as my desktop background.

Indeed, we do have a lot to be thankful for. May God preserve us by causing us to practice righteousness as our founders did.

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it Caleb! :-) And Amen to us living more like our forefathers did.