I have been reading “The Young Jefferson, 1743-1789″ by Claude G. Bowers, written in 1945. Most of us should know that Thomas Jefferson was pretty much the author of the Declaration of Independence, even though there was a panel of 5 men appointed to draft such a document.
It certainly was not smooth sailing during those days of fighting the revolution and convincing the people that the sacrifices for freedom were well worth it.
It seems that only a few months prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, that Thomas Jefferson had quite a fight on his hands to quell a movement to form a dictatorship and it is believed that those who presented such an act wanted Patrick Henry to lead them. This was not the only time that some wanted to be led by such. It was during the second movement to appoint a dictator that Jefferson showed us his passion for liberty.
One would have to gain an understanding of the colonialists who came to America. They were timid, not used to a life of freedom, one not ruled by the king. They found comfort in appointing a ruler because they lacked knowledge of life in freedom.
During this fight, Jefferson wrote harshly and passionately about why his fellow Americans should not succumb to the throes of a dictator. The author of the book believes what Jefferson writes exemplifies the political principles and philosophy of the young Jefferson. This is what he writes:
Nothing that Jefferson has passed down to his countrymen and the friends of liberty everywhere is of more priceless value than these observations, and nothing more vividly sets forth the political principles and philosophy that guided his life.
Here are excerpts of what Jefferson wrote to those who thought a dictatorship was the answer to their problems. You may find similarities in our country of today.
One who entered into this contest from a pure love of liberty and a sense of injured rights, who determined to make every sacrifice, to meet every danger for the re-establishment of those rights on a firm basis, who did not mean to expend his love and substance for the wretched purpose of changing this master for that, but to place the powers of governing him in a plurality of hands of his own choice, so that the corrupt will of no one man might in future oppress him, must stand dumbfounded and dismayed when he is told that a considerable portion of that plurality had meditated the surrender of them into a single hand; and, in lieu of a limited monarchy, to deliver him over to a despotic one. How must we find his efforts and sacrifices abused and baffled if he may still, by a single vote, be laid prostrate at the feet of one man.
In God’s name, from whence have they derived this power? Is it from your ancient laws? None such can be produced.
Is it from any principle in our new Constitution, expressed or implied? Every lineament of that, expressed or implied, is in full opposition to it….. It provides a republican organization, proscribes under the name of prerogatives the exercise of all powers undefined by the laws…..
Or was this proposition moved on a supposed right, in the movers, of abandoning their posts in a moment of distress? The same laws forbid the abandonment of that post even on ordinary occasions; and much more a transfer of their powers into other hands and other forms without consulting the people. They never admit the idea that these, like sheep and cattle, may be driven from hand to hand without an appeal to their own will.
Was it from the necessity of the case? Necessities which dissolve a government do not convey its authority to an oligarchy or a monarchy. They throw back into the hand of the people the powers they had delegated and leave them, as individuals, to shift for themselves. A leader may offer, but not impose himself, nor be imposed by them. Much less can their necks be submitted to his sword, their breath to be taken at his will or caprice.
During this time, the revolution had not been going well. There were military disasters in Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Jefferson continues:
In this state alone did there exist so little virtue that fear was to be fixed in the hearts of the people, and to become the motive of their exertions, the principle of their governing? The very thought alone was treason against the people; was treason against mankind in general, as riveting forever the chains which bow down their necks, by giving to their oppressors a proof, which they would have trumpeted throughout the universe, of the imbecility of republican governments in times of pressing danger…………………………………….
Those who assume the right of giving away the reins of government in any case must be sure that the herd whom they hand on to the rods and hatchet of the dictator will lay their heads on the block when he shall nod to them…. What a cruel moment was this for creating such an embarrassment, for putting to the proof the attachment of our countrymen to republican government……………………………………..
Those who meant well, of the advocates of this measure - and most of them meant well, for I know them personally and had been their fellow laborer in the common cause, and had often proved the purity of their principles - had been seduced in their judgment by the example of an ancient republic, whose constitution and circumstances were fundamentally different. They had sought this precedent in the history of Rome, where alone it was to be found, and where at length, too, it proved fatal. They had taken it from a republic rent by the most bitter factions and tumults where the government was of a heavy-handed unfeeling aristocracy, over a people ferocious and rendered desperate by poverty and wretchedness…. Their constitution, therefore, allowed a temporary tyrant to be erected under the name of dictator; and that temporary tyrant, after a few examples, become perpetual.
Fortunately for us, the focus of independence and the belief that complete freedom from tyranny was how human beings were supposed to live.
Our Declaration of Independence, the holiday for which we celebrate on July the Fourth, informed the King of England that America wanted to be free; free from the tyranny of the King. The people wanted a different life but that is not why they came to America. It was not until after having been here for some time and through the leadership of those like Jefferson, were the people convinced that liberty was something worth fighting for. The King wanted their taxes, he wanted to control how they worshiped, who could get an education, who could own land and what you could do with that land.
Once the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Constitution was written. This document was the guiding force, that if followed, even 200 or more years later, would ensure that every American would live free.
We should celebrate Independence Day with the renewed thought that freedom is not something that is handed over to one man, to one administration, to one government. It is a freedom granted to us by God. It is “We the People” who control our destiny. We the people celebrate our independence. We the people should be free!
I took this photo from a lobsterman’s dock in Eastport, Maine. Running nearby to the dock I was standing on was the remains of an old pier. As you can see in the photo, vegetation of this variety has little difficulty growing on top of the remains. And of course two likely suspects don’t mind settling down in the growth while keeping a watchful eye on any likely scavenged meal.
Rain drops keep falling on my head, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to melt!
Actually, I woke up this morning and it’s not raining but I want to tell you, from around 9 p.m. last night until around midnight, the skies opened up and it poured hard. Water, water everywhere.
Forecast calls for cloudy skies today with showers and thundershowers after 11 a.m.
I wanted to warn you though that should it not rain and should the sky brighten, or even the sun shine through, you’ll be hearing very little from me.
A reader sent me this photograph with a short story saying a guy got tired of crooks breaking into his garage and stealing tools, etc., so he bought a dog and trimmed it up to change its appearance.
What do you think? Would an idiot thief catch a glimpse of this guy in the dark and run? What if the “lion” barked?
President Obama tagged Cass Sunstein, anti-hunter and animal rights extremist, to head up the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Sunstein, noted for his public decry that animals should be able to bring lawsuits against humans (and I feel much better now), would head up an office with a lot of power to control data used in support for programs such as hunting, etc.
According to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, has block that appointment if at least temporarily.
If I hear one more time that I am more likely to be attacked by a domestic dog than a wolf, I think I’ll…..I’ll…..I’ll, oh, I don’t know what I’ll do. Do you know how ridiculous that statement is?
In America we have something like 300 million humans. How many wolves are there? There are basically 3 areas with wolf populations - Western Great Lakes with a many as 6,000 wolves estimated; Northern Rockies with an estimated population of 1,600; and the Southwest with a few hundred, maybe. Total estimated wolf population of between 7,000 and 8,000 and I’m sure that is low. Let’s even say there are 20,000 wolves kicking around the woods in the U.S.
Domestic dogs are difficult to estimate, especially even considering stray dogs. Some estimates have the number of domestic dogs living in American households around 75 million.
It becomes quite obvious that I am more likely to be attacked or even killed by a domestic dog. For one thing there are over 3,000-4,000 times more domestic dogs than wolves and secondly, humans come in contact with dogs on a daily basis. For crying out loud, they live in houses with us. Many domestic dog attacks in the U.S. happen right in the home where the dog lives with family members.
Do you thank God for everything that you have in life? That was part of the message former Boston Red Sox player, Bernie Carbo, was telling those who gathered at a nearby church to meet and hear some of Bernie’s life stories and learn more of the life he has had.
Bernie Carbo is one of those baseball players who I will never forget. If you will, recall the 1975 World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox. Boston was behind by three runs in the 8th inning with two outs and facing the prospects of losing the World Series to Cincinnati in six games.
Bernie Carbo was called on to pinch hit with two runners on base. For those who recall, he nailed a home run to tie the ball game. But how many of you remember that? Perhaps you remember the repeatedly played footage of Carton Fisk’s 10th inning home run that won that game for Boston. This was the home run where Fisk is seen in a sideways bunny hop down the first base line and waving his arms frantically hoping his effort will keep the ball in fair territory.
I have heard that Carbo once told friends that people forget that had he not tied the ballgame with his heroic home run, Fisk would never had come to bat in the 10th inning.
For me, the 1975 World Series was one of the greatest series ever played and last night I got the opportunity to meet one of the heroes of that series and a baseball player who has never left my memory.
Some may think that Bernie has a lot to thank God for being the great baseball player he was, and he has but in his message, baseball was only a small part of his life and who he is.
After the program, Bernie hung around and greeted every kid, some well into their 80s, signed autographs and encouraged everyone to go out the next day and tell someone about Jesus. It was a delight to watch the faces of the kids.
I had the opportunity to spend a little time chatting with Bernie and his wife Tammy.
Controversy has long raged about the relative quality and taste of venison and beef as gourmet foods. Some people say that venison is tough, with a strong “wild” taste. Others insist that venison’s flavor
is delicate. An independent food research group was retained by the Venison Council to conduct a taste test to determine the truth of these conflicting assertions once and for all.
First a Grade A Choice Holstein steer was chased into a swamp a mile and a half from a road and shot several times. After some of the entrails were removed, the carcass was dragged back over rocks and logs, and through mud and dust to the road. It was then thrown into the back of a pickup truck and driven through rain and snow for 100 miles before being hung out in the sun for 10 days.
After that it was lugged into a garage, where it was skinned and rolled around on the floor for a while. Strict sanitary precautions were observed throughout the test, within the limitations of the butchering
environment. For instance, dogs and cats were allowed to sniff and lick the steer carcass, but were chased away when they attempted to bite chunks out of it.
Next a sheet of plywood left from last year’s butchering was set up in the basement on two saw horses. The pieces of dried blood, hair and fat left from last year were scraped off with a wire brush last used to
clean out the grass stuck under the lawn mower.
The skinned carcass was then dragged down the steps into the basement where a half dozen inexperienced but enthusiastic and intoxicated men worked on it with meat saws, cleavers and dull knives. The result was 375 pounds of soup bones, four bushel baskets of meat scraps, and a couple of steaks that were an eighth of an inch thick on one edge and an inch and a half thick on the other.
The steaks were seared on a glowing red hot cast iron skillet to lock in the flavor. When the smoke cleared, rancid bacon grease was added along with three pounds of onions, and the whole conglomeration was fried for two hours.
The meat was gently teased from the frying pan and served to three blindfolded taste panel volunteers. Every one of the members of the panel thought it was venison. One of the volunteers even said it tasted
exactly like the venison he had eaten in hunting camps for the past 27 years. The results of this scientific test show conclusively that there is no difference between the taste of beef and venison.
Tucson, AZ – Safari Club International (SCI) and Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) are pleased to announce that today, Larry Rudolph of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has become their 32nd President.
“I am pleased to announce Larry Rudolph as the new President of SCI,” said SCI Executive Director John Eichinger. “Larry brings a great deal of experience to the position and we look forward to working with him as we continue promoting the freedom to hunt for our members world-wide.”
Larry Rudolph, the owner of a large multi-office group dental practice in Pittsburgh, has hunted extensively around the world and was honored as the 2007 recipient of the Weatherby Hunting and Conservation Award and the SCI World Hunting Award – two of the top honors amongst sportsmen and women. He has been a life member of SCI since 1986, and has served as the Pittsburgh Chapter President. In addition, Rudolph has served on the SCI Executive Committee for four years, as SCI Director-at-Large, SCIF Director, SCI-PAC Chairman, Marketing Chairman, National Fundraising Chairman, and on many other various committees.
“We are all grateful to past President Merle Shepard for his efforts over the past year, and I look forward to leading SCI this year in our efforts to fund, support, and manage programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian services worldwide,” said new SCI President Larry Rudolph. “In my new role, I plan to be involved with federal political action, advocacy at both the state and federal legislative levels, and with national and global regulatory issues that affect hunting, wildlife management, and conservation. My vow to our members is that nothing will stand in the way of our effectively representing the interests of our members and the greater hunting community.”
I have been reading “The Young Jefferson, 1743-1789″ by Claude G. Bowers, written in 1945. Most of us should know that Thomas Jefferson was pretty much the author of the Declaration of Independence, even though there was a panel of 5 men appointed to draft such a document.
Bernie Carbo was called on to pinch hit with two runners on base. For those who recall, he nailed a home run to tie the ball game. But how many of you remember that? Perhaps you remember the repeatedly played footage of Carton Fisk’s 10th inning home run that won that game for Boston. This was the home run where Fisk is seen in a sideways bunny hop down the first base line and waving his arms frantically hoping his effort will keep the ball in fair territory.
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