the good old days

Start your day with a bit of blasphemy…

Of course I “Love My Country.” But let’s be real for a minute on this day and remember that the “Founding Fathers” would probably not have associated with you unless you wore a powdered wig and banged your slaves. It’s fine to celebrate our past, but don’t color history in such majestic and glorious shades that you repaint it entirely.

We still have a long way to go as a country. We are just as divided today as we were then. 40-45% of the colonists supported the rebellion. 15-20% of the population remained loyal to the British Crown and the remaining 35-45% attempted to remain neutral.

Hear hear. History is useless — indeed, dangerously deceptive — if it is incomplete. For instance, did you know that there weren’t “Presidents” before 1789? It took a long time to get things sorted out, even after hostilities with Great Britain were finished.

Since the 4th of July is symbolic, one day on which to try to celebrate decades of turmoil and upheaval during the founding of a nation, just settle for enjoying your burgers, beer, watermelon, and fireworks. Save serious thought for tomorrow.

This post is dedicated to great-great-great-great-great-uncle correction: first-cousin-seven-times-removed Thomas Mifflin, who served in the Continental Army and was the fifth President. Of course, that’s President of the United States in Congress Assembled, before there was a Constitution… but I’ll take what I can get.

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