Freedom is Never Free, and Liberty Is Never Guaranteed...

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs-Tyranny

It is so very easy to forget the price paid by many in 1776 so future generations of Americans could be free. Free to live their lives so as to further their own well being and that of their family. Free to pursue their own happiness, and through their efforts make the society in which they live a more productive and prosperous one.

The following was forwarded to me without reference and therefore I am unable to ascribe proper credit as to the source. I did find it worth reflecting on and as a reminder this nation must continue to be vigilant in guarding its freedom and liberties. Lest we find ourselves under the yoke of the government we freely elected to insure our liberties and freedom.

Here is a part of history everyone should know about. We need to more fully appreciate the great leaders who did so much to give us our Declaration of Independence at a great peril to themselves and their families. We need to do all we can to save this great document and appreciate our freedoms.

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons
serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons aptured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy
jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games…