America's most profound historical anniversary date..

[Parisle]

--- I guess everybody is sufficiently familiar with July 4th, 1776,...the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Likewise, September 17th, 1787 is a date to reckon with; that's when the Constitution was adopted. Certainly these two documents are much in our minds these days as we try to hold off the forces of corporate oligarchial wealth that would like to see both of them discarded,.. and the concept of democratic "one man - one vote" rule along with them.

--- The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are the historical embodiments of what we are trying to preserve, but there is another anniversary date which far more poignantly embraces the depth of the resolve which led to the "American experiment." For my money, it is the most revered and solemn date in our history,.. and the one we need most to remind us of what that "United" part of our name really means.

--- April 19th, 1775. The British sent 700 regular troops to destroy the colonials' munitions stored at Lexington and Concord, and to capture John Adams, along with other principle patriot rebels. Paul Revere made his historic ride to warn the Minutemen in the area,... the munitions were saved and Adams was able to escape. When the British reached Lexington Green, they were met by some 70 colonial Minutemen. Amid much confusion, shots were fired and a handful of Minutemen fell. The British continued their march toward Concord,.. but now patriot defenders were gathering themselves in the woods along the route,.. some 375 of them, in fact. The British took casualties all along the way, eventually having to fall into full retreat. By the end of the day, American casualties were 49 dead and 39 wounded. The British suffered 73 dead and 174 wounded.

--- Can you imagine what was going through the minds of those citizen-soldier patriots? Outnumbered in the field,.. facing the earth's most powerful nation,.. but they stood their ground and won the day. Each of us ought to be asking ourselves if we would have what it takes in similar circumstances.

--- I submit that April 19, 1775 is the date which most embodies the spirit and resolve which point the way towards the restoration and continuation of our Constitutional heritage as a free nation. We owe it to those original Minutemen.

[Burma Jones]

1. Plus a Red Sox game.....

It's Patriot's Day in MA......

[kenny blankenship]

2. It took a lot of heart to be one of those first 70 to get in the way of British lead

[Parisle]

3. Yeah,.. that's my point, exactly

--- For all our outrage,.. and even our activism over what has happened to this nation over the past six years at the hands of the corporate-PNAC junta,... we're still pretty comfortable and complacent, eh?

[El Supremo]

4. The Shot Heard 'Round the World

This was an important date indeed. I visited the sites a few years ago and was in hushed awe.

But who fired the first shot? Were we just a bunch of uncontrolled hotheads? Or were we really defending our freedom? whatever, the winners write the history.