STILL FRACTIOUS AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. At the time Solomon Hopkins, Jeremiah Hopkins, and Tracy Ballard took up arms in New York, and Enoch Crosby began spying on the Regulars, maybe one-third of the colonists favored independence, one-third remained loyal to the king, and one-third were willing to give up the choice. The more things change .... In 1821, John Quincy Adams noted the following in praise of Independence:

"But she goes not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.

She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all.

She is the champion and vindicator only of her own." Read the rest of the speech. Some things may have changed. Jacob Hornberger: "Let’s not mince words: The “freedom” that Americans celebrate today is opposite to the freedom that Americans celebrated on, say, July 4, 1890.

"Think about it: In 1890, Americans were celebrating a way of life in which there was no income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, drug war, gun control, or immigration controls. There were virtually no economic regulations, mandatory government schooling (public schooling), or welfare. There was neither foreign aid nor involvement in wars thousands of miles away. There was no paper money or monetary central planning. Americans and foreigners alike enjoyed the rights of habeas corpus and due process of law."

Sheldon Richman: "How else to explain that few people give a hoot that we were obviously lied into war by the president of the United States, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and others, without a proper congressional declaration, and led to believe that Saddam Hussein was both willing and able to launch so-called weapons of mass destruction against us on 45 minutes’ notice?

"How else to explain that hardly anyone notices that with respect to criminal suspects the Constitution has been all but consigned to the paper shredder, with American citizens and others being held indefinitely without charge and without the right to go before a judge to challenge such treatment?"

John Nichols: "Should we celebrate the founders themselves? Yes, within reason. It is true that many of the men who made this nation were flawed. The best of them admitted as much at the time. The worst were revealed in time. But no one who cherishes liberty should hesitate to raise a cheer for old Tom Paine, who wrote of Americans in 1776: 'We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation similar to the present hath not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of the new world is at hand, and a race of men, perhaps as numerous as all Europe contains, are to receive their portion of freedom from the events of a few months.' "

Natalie Maynor: "I plan to celebrate July 4 with hope that the damage the current U.S. administration is doing to the country can be contained, with hope that American voters will put an end to the terrible turn this country has taken by ousting the deceitful and dangerous leaders. Serious damage has surely been done. After four years of the Bush administration, getting this country back on the right track won't be easy. But it can be done. After eight years, it might be impossible. I urge you to celebrate July 4 by thinking of ways to help turn things around."

Everybody is hyperbolic, over the top, selectivly indignant, offering food for Fiskers (TM) once the holiday ends. As it should be. Gentlemen, the project goes on.