The 4th of July

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 captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or 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. Some of us take
these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't.
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!

Boycott Church's Chicken

Church's chicken has made my shit list.

They have a sign in their Odessa TX store saying that they do not want me to legally carry my concealed handgun. That is their right of course and it is my right to go eat elsewhere.

I figure that since they don't like us God fearing CHL holders, we need to spread the word that Church's chicken doesn't want our business.

Texas does it right. CHL holders have express lane to visit Capital.

By Mike Ward

Without fanfare, the first step to airport-style security checkpoints was opened Friday at the four entrances to the Texas Capitol.
The visitors and lobbyists must walk through metal detectors and have their purses and briefcases searched. In coming weeks, their belongings will have to go through X-ray machines yet to be installed.
State employees can walk around the checkpoint if they show valid state identification, as can Texans who carry a pistol with a concealed handgun license.
It's perhaps the only public building in the country where pistol-packing average Joes can walk through security undeterred.
The express lane for gun owners is clearly marked: "CHL Holders."
"It's quite intimidating. We've never had to go through this before," said Beth Lord, a retired personnel manager who was visiting the statehouse with her grandchildren.
"If they're going to have security like this, why are they letting some people to come in with guns? That doesn't make too much sense."
Other visitors who came through the checkpoints seemed to agree.
Mark Casey, a Katy engineer who was touring with his family, called the checkpoint policy "bizarre."
"I would hope our officials feel safer in a building where only they are allowed to carry guns," he said. "If terrorists and criminals with guns can't get in, why does anyone need one in here?"
Officials have justified their decision this way: Concealed handgun license holders are required to undergo training and pass a background check — steps that are expected to weed out potential nuts and terrorists.
A number of lobbyists who come and go at the Capitol several times each day — and who have been grousing about the checkpoints for months — say they plan to get concealed handgun permits so they can go through the express lane and save time. They said they do not plan to carry a weapon.
With visitor traffic light Friday, the checkpoints had no lines, and most people were smiling. Along with the checkpoints, more uniformed state troopers were noticeable in the Capitol and on its grounds.
As part of the plan to upgrade Capitol security, officials had said they planned to increase the number of troopers, install dozens of additional surveillance cameras and implement new programs to thwart any terrorist attack.

mward@statesman.com; 445-1712