Posted on 07/03/2002 6:06:51 AM PDT by SJackson
O say, can you see,
John Adams sat alone the night of July 2, 1776, writing to his wife, Abigail. "The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America." Over the next two days, Congress would debate, edit and finally sign the Declaration of Independence. The world would never be the same.
By the dawn's early light,
George Washington peered from his small boat on a frigid Christmas night, 1777. He looked back at his weary, bone-cold soldiers, then across the icy Delaware River. Soon, they would attempt a daring surprise operation against Trenton. It would be a turning point in the War for Independence.
What so proudly we hailed
James Madison, relieved, affixed his name to the Constitution of the United States. The date was Sept. 17, 1787, and the document Madison signed would be the basis for a democratic republic, "a more perfect union."
At the twilight's last gleaming?
Praying "that heaven may continue to you the choicest tokens of its beneficence," George Washington stepped down as president of the United States with his Farewell Address in 1796, peacefully passing the mantle of leadership to John Adams.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars,
Francis Scott Key stood aboard a ship 8 miles downriver from Fort McHenry Sept. 13, 1814. He watched anxiously as British warships pounded the fort. As dawn broke, the 40-foot flag over the fort billowed majestically in the wind. Key excitedly spotted the flag, pulled out an envelope and began to write.
Through the perilous fight,
Robert E. Lee stood behind his line, overlooking Gettysburg. Sprawled across the field were countless bodies, Americans all, enemies in life, brothers in death. As the sun set on July 2, 1863, President Lincoln retired for the evening. The casualty statistics would not reach him for hours, but the magnitude of death was stunning. The outcome of the Civil War was very much in doubt.
O'er the ramparts we watched,
As freed slaves peeked over the barrier of slavery, Congress adopted the Fifteenth Amendment on March 30, 1870, guaranteeing that "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
Were so gallantly streaming?
Ten-year-old Harry Shapiro stood on deck, his eyes fixed on the Statue of Liberty. Having fled the pogroms of Russia, Shapiro later said that seeing the Statue was the greatest thrill of his life. The year was 1905, and two years later a record 1,285,349 immigrants flooded into the United States of America.
And the rockets' red glare,
"Above their wreath-strewn graves we kneel/They kept the faith and fought the fight./Through flying lead and crimson steel/They plunged for Freedom and the Right," penned Joyce Kilmer. At the age of 33, Kilmer volunteered for service in World War I. He was killed in France on July 30, 1918.
The bombs bursting in air,
On Aug. 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. President Harry Truman stated: "Let there be no mistake; we shall completely destroy Japan's power to make war." By dropping the bomb, Truman effectively ended World War II and saved hundreds of thousands of American lives.
Gave proof through the night
) Sgt. William Port and his platoon moved swiftly through the undergrowth of Vietnam Jan. 12, 1968. Suddenly, a burst of heavy gunfire began, forcing the platoon back. Despite being wounded by the gunfire, Port dragged a downed friend to the platoon perimeter. When an enemy grenade was thrown into their bunker, Port leapt on it. Left for dead, taken as a POW, he died of starvation and his wounds.
That our flag was still there
As the smoke, dust and flame rose from mid-Manhattan, three firefighters stood atop the rubble of the World Trade Center, amid the gravesites of thousands, and raised an American flag. Two hundred miles south, rescue workers lowered a flag over the side of the Pentagon. It was Sept. 11, 2001.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
"The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that G-d is not neutral between them." -- President George W. Bush, Sept. 20, 2001
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
His quote does not belong with the other events and quotations listed.
To-wit, he talks a good line about fighting injustice and terrorism, and of God's lack of neutrality about these things, but all I see so far in this war on terror is a lot of smoke, a bombed-out rockpile called Afghanistan, and a bunch of Saudi Princes and Palestinians with freshly kissed butts.
We still have Swiss cheese borders, huge numbers of immigrants from muslim countries, no one deported, tried or executed yet in the war on terror,
and Wanda the screener working out on the bluehairs in line to board the plane to Florida.
BTW, God may not be neutral in the fight between justice and terror, but Bush is. His stance vis a vis the Israelis and the Palestinians shows absolute indifference between law, order, and civility (the Israelis), and barbarism, nihilism, and satanism (the Pals).
And Bush wants to treat the Pals equally to the Israelis.
If I was a copy editor I would delete the Bush garbage and run this otherwise excellent editorial.
I for one dont' wish to worship daily ("day in the life") at the foot of the statue of President George Bush, but I will give him credit when he does things that are good.
He has done good, but he has also flubbed up royally IMHO, either due to his own miscalculations or the reckless advice offered him by RINO sycophants who are fully imbedded. Kind of a mixed report card.......
You were trying to be sarcastic, but when dealing with liberals...well they sink to the occasion every time.
Regards,
Put up or shut-up.
This whimp president is an embarrassment; a repeat of the previous no-balls administration - different motives - same result.
It's pretty obvious the Saudi family owns the political traitor leadership in DC. How much of America do they own as well? Is this a factor hidden from us, and the real reason for the brown-noses displayed by America's political whores?
The ONLY way Bush can redeem himself now is if he is reelected in a landslide, and his successor(s) are GOP of a more conservative bent.
Otherwise, W will have given away the farm to the libs, the Rats, and the Glommy Middle, to the dismay of the conservatives, and would have obtained, in return, nothing.
The reason to preserve the SSB as the National Anthem (as opposed to the Barney-fied, Disney-fied, Mr. Rogers pap 'America the Beautiful') is because the SSB describes actual events of maritime warfare.
Horrible bloodshed everywhere to found the country, and a constant, bloody fight to preserve it starting with the War of 1812.
Twas ever thus.
And we need to keep the SSB as a song that tells undeniable truths about the nation, how it got here, and how it must remain.
It should be pointed out that the atomic bomb also, ironically, saved thousands of Japanese lives. The Japanese had been instructing grammar school children on the most effective means of killing American troops. We could very likely have ended up killing every man, woman, and child in Japan if we had had to invade.
Mmm, America the Beautiful doesn't work anyway: "God shed his grace on thee!!"
The rest is a little too Hallmark card for me.
When do I get my check?
Thanks for posting this for its obvious intention.
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