Here Lies Who? New Jersey Still Can’t Afford to Answer

AP via NY Times ^ | July 4, 2007 | Anon

[Pharmboy]

TRENTON, July 3 (AP) — When in the course of human events it becomes necessary to honor the grave sites of Declaration of Independence signers, don’t count New Jersey in.

It can’t afford it.

Five Declaration signers are buried in the Garden State: four New Jerseyans and a Pennsylvanian. But an effort to preserve their graves, promote their lives and honor them with graveside plaques has stalled in the state, which was home to several key Revolutionary War battles and calls itself the Crossroads of the American Revolution.

A plan to spend $200,000 to preserve and newly mark the graves has bounced around the Legislature for more than three years...

“It’s hard to justify spending money on historic grave sites when there’s a real human need out there,” said Mr. Gusciora, a Mercer County Democrat.

The proposal would establish a state program to preserve the graves and promote Abraham Clark, John Hart, Richard Stockton and John Witherspoon, who signed for New Jersey, and George Clymer, who signed for Pennsylvania but is buried here in Trenton.

Stockton and Witherspoon — an ancestor of the Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon — are buried in Princeton, while Hart is in Hopewell Borough and Clark in Rahway.

Francis Hopkinson, who also signed the Declaration for New Jersey, is buried in Philadelphia.

[Pharmboy]

They must waste tens of millions of dollars and other millions in corruption. This is awful that they can't find a few bucks to keep the graves of 5 Signers.

And I have a new feeling about Reese Witherspoon.

[goldstategop]

New Jersey can't honor the Signers Of The Declaration Of Independence buried in the state. But it can waste billions on illegals.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Pharmboy]

The Flag of the Great State of New Jersey (buff background based on colors picked by General Washington for the uniforms of the NJ Continentals)

RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list

Freepmail me to get on or off this list

Have a Great Fourth, Freepers!

[Pharmboy]

Excellent point, GSGOP.

[leprechaun9]

How about?

William Livingston (November 30, 1723 – July 25, 1790) served as the Governor of New Jersey (1776–1790) during the American Revolution and was a signer of the United States Constitution.

Livingston died in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and was originally buried in Trinity Church, New York, but was reinterred at Green-Wood Cemetery, in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, in 1846.

Because he was the first Revolutionary governor, he is often cited as the first governor of New Jersey.

The high school in Berkeley Heights is named GOVERNOR LIVINGSTON HIGH SCHOOL, although few students are probably aware of his life!

[goldstategop]

No one learns about American history anymore. They learn how evil America is, how people are miserable and capitalism and the bourgeois existence have to go to create a new social order. One in which humans voluntarily become extinct to give the planet a smaller carbon footprint. Our schools are socialist indoctrination camps.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Pharmboy]

Indeed. Thanks for posting. Before Livingstone (and there is a town near me named after the governor) Ben Franklin’s Loyalist son was the governor (Franklin disowned him).

[sneakers]

The property on which our town - Indiana, Pa - sits, was deeded, by George Clymer, to Indiana County for the county seat. And, approx. 7 miles away sits the town of Clymer, Pa. whose streets are named after many of the Signers - Hancock, Jefferson, Franklin, Wolcott, Sherman etc.

Maybe our towns should pitch in and take up a collection for George Clymer’s marker, since the ungrateful lowlifes in NJ are not willing to do it!!

[bert]

Crack babies trump dead white guys

[proudmilitarymrs]

“Crack babies trump dead white guys”

Don’t forget the millions we’re dumping into embryonic stem cell research here in the Garden State.

[alloysteel]

The sum which was called for, would amount to about five minutes of the cost of graft and corruption in New Jersey.

But hey, they got to keep their priorities straight. Stop the flow of graft for even a minute, and you stand to have a few people ending up with concrete overshoes somewhere off the coast.

Of course, most of those same people are likely to die an early and violent death anyway. Or at least come away with a seriously disabling injury shortly after concluding some “business”.

This is about as humanitarian as anything gets in Joisey.

[elizabetty]

The people of NJ are the highest taxed in the country.

This is beyond shameful.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Very sad state of affairs in the garden state.

[NonValueAdded]

What about the NJ SAR and DAR, I wonder? This is a project they could spearhead. They should be able to raise the funds privately and I'm sure Reese would support the effort. DAR should be approaching her anyway. In some respects, those Signers might appreciate it more than if it came from the state.

And it wouldn't be the first time a government turned its back on the Signers. See: The Americans Who Risked Everything.

[LLBeet]

Democrats in New Jersey (Mercer County) spent over $1 million to build a bridge to nowhere over Route 1, one that nobody uses. Now they balk at this?

[nyyankeefan]

we in the people’s republic of new jersey are so proud....corslime and the lib/dems raise taxes again....spend like drunken sailors on illegal alien programs that are destroying the state.....

but cannot spend a dime to honour the founding fathers that gave these a-holes the ability to legally steal from the taxpayers!!!!!

[tcostell]

The real problem in NJ is one which is spreading slowly to the national government and those of the other states. The people who work for the government no longer see themselves as servants of the people but as masters of them. They view themselves as an anointed class, exempt from the rule of law that binds the peasants.

And they view the common citizen and taxpayer with contempt. As a foolish rube who should shut up and hand over his hard earned money but make no comment about how he's lorded over. They are not the defenders of liberty, but the tyrants that the founders wanted to protect us against.

This is the real class struggle being set up for the 21st century, and the real question for America. How do we free ourselves from chains that we ourselves have formed? How do we get reestablish our liberty from tyrants, when the tyrants are us? How do we get rid of socialism with anything short of force of arms? I've written about it at some length here:

Coming to you from behind the lines:

Radio Free New Jersey

[Melchior]

Had the Founding Fathers been able to visualize the New Jersey of today they would likely have tossed the Declaration of Independence and committed mass suicide.

[olde north church]

The property on which our town - Indiana, Pa - sits, was deeded, by George Clymer, to Indiana County for the county seat. And, approx. 7 miles away sits the town of Clymer, Pa. whose streets are named after many of the Signers - Hancock, Jefferson, Franklin, Wolcott, Sherman etc.

Maybe our towns should pitch in and take up a collection for George Clymer’s marker, since the ungrateful lowlifes in NJ are not willing to do it!!

1. To you sneakers, a personal "Screw You", from this NJ "ungrateful lowlife". Did you ever consider the possibility the people of NJ may not have been aware of this situation? Probably not, I would imagine your conductor's position with the "Blame First Symphony" wouldn't allow that.

If someone would help, I would attempt to do something to help remedy the situation.

[Pharmboy]

Excellent post and sadly, too true. Happy Fourth.