We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Indeed.

As the progressives who now lead our nation would take our children’s lives through abortion, Our liberty through an unanswerable liability of national debt, and our happiness (property) by removing it from us through use of force and redistributing it in the name of “fairness,” we celebrate the courageous call of our forefathers to throw from our backs the yoke of the Tyranny of Kings.

happy independence..

Enjoy the fireworks.

We broke ties with England and risked so much more for things which were quantitatively less.

It is in this year, 2009, I am amazed, after seeing how far our current governors are willing to abuse their charter, and expose themselves as the tyrants they wish to be. And though their actions may not be for explicit evil, the consequence remains the same. (H/T to Bruce Hall for the following quote)

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. – C. S. Lewis (1898 – 1963)

However given the unique and potentially everlasting damage done to this country, and to find its condition deteriorating faster as the weeks pass, many might find it contrary to discover I have never felt so bound to her, so patriotic, with so much pride.  My renewed confidence in the ability of my neighbors increases when I see they are willing to stand as they have been willing to stand.  My belief in our constitution, though under attack, has never been stronger.  My knowledge that we can with louder voices, amplified by our sheer numbers in protest, change the hearts of our oppressors grows.

We will regain our independence.  God bless this America, this revolution, and its people.

Tea Party locations - Lansing and others

The tea party events have been at first ignored, ridiculed, and then attacked as useless, meaningless and trite, yet so far well over a Million folks have turned out to have their voices heard. Never.. has the first amendment meant so much in this country as it does today. Never.. have the citizens had to come out in the numbers we are witnessing at the Tea Parties recently. Never has it been so important to remind our government to OBEY OUR WISHES.. we are not its slaves, we are its owners.

DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO ATTEND A PARTY NEAR YOU! You wont regret it, and if you have kids, it is truly an experience which will help them understand history, and help them appreciate their part in it. Click on the image above for MICHIGAN TEA PARTY EVENTS July 4

	Traverse City Tea Party Traverse City, Michigan Saturday, July 4, 2009 4:00 p.m. till ?? Traverse City Civic Center/N.E. Corner Civic Center Dr. Contact Organizer
Port Huron Independence Day Tea Party Kimball Twp., Michigan Saturday, July 4, 2009 Regis. 3:00pm; Event 4:00pm – 7:00pm Next to Golf Country Driving Range 4730 Smiths Creek Rd. Website Contact Organizer
	Monroe Tea! Monroe, Michigan Saturday, July 4, 2009 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Loranger Square East First Street & Washington Street corner website Contact Organizer
Independence Day Tea Party Picnic Northville, Michigan Saturday, July 4, 2009 12:30 p.m./3:30 p.m. Northville Community Park Five Mile Road and Beck Website Contact Organizer
	Grand Rapids Tea Party Tea Party of West Michigan is sponsoring a Tea Party at Riverside Park (on Monroe across from the Veterans Home) at the Band Shell on July 4th from 1pm – 3pm. They are also collecting personal care items donations for the veterans home.
Lansing, MI Independence Day Tea Party At the State Capitol: July 4, 2009 from 1pm to 3pm 100 N. Capitol Lansing Michigan Website Contact Organizer: Organized By: apackof2
	Kalamazoo Tea Party Time: July 4, 2009 from 6pm to 8pm at Bronson Park Kalamazoo, MI Organized By: Gene Clem (Website)
St. Joe Tea PartyTime: July 4, 2009 from 12pm to 3pm at the Berrien County Courthouse steps… 701 Main St. Saint Joseph, MI Organized By: Paul D. Peterson
	Schoolcraft ParadeTime: July 4, 2009 from 10am to 12pm at Schoolcraft, Michigan Organized By: Tony Dugal
Flint July 4, 200912:00 noon County Court House Contact- Charles Cosby
	Holland, July 4, 2009 noon-??Centennial Park across from City Hall Info: Bart Spencer
Clare, July 4, 2009 1–3pm,5th Street Park Info: Adele Allen
	Owosso , July 4, 2009 noon–2pmWeekly´s Lot, 2355 E. Main St (M-21), Owosso- just West of State RD. Info: Bea Vajgart
Ludington, July 4, 2009 4–6pmMason County Courthouse Info: Rod Merrill,
	East Tawas **Monday., July 6, 2009 Harbor ParkHarbor Park, at intersection of US 23 and Newman St. at the heart of downtown East Tawas right on the Bay next to the state dock.
Farmington Hills City Hall July 04, 2009, 11amInfo: alice
	St. Clair ShoresTAXED ENOUGH ALREADY? Join another citizen TEA PARTY DAY, JULY 4, at NOON Same location as the last one… 11 Mile and Harper!
Manchester American Legion Post 117 203 Adrian Street Manchester, Michigan July 4, 2009 Gather @ 11am Program @ 12pm

Please feel free to comment and ADD your Tea Party Info if it is not here already, and correct me if I have placed wrong times, etc..

– Update —

By Email Deeann G. sends us this about the Traverse City Tea Party:

Ok everyone the time is near for our 2nd TEA Party of 2009 in Traverse City! I realize that most of you may have plans with family since it is also the Fourth of July, and I really appreciate the fact that you will be setting aside a few hours of your time on a very busy day to celebrate and exercise the freedoms that so many American Heroes fought and died for.

This is a very critical time for all Americans to make our voices heard regarding the governments wasteful spending of ours, our children’s and our grandchildren’s money. We need to unite in this cause and show our government, the President, Congress and the like that they WORK FOR US!

They need to be held accountable for passing bills that they don’t even bother reading and we need to stop allowing them to raise their own salaries and they need to re-read the Constitution and go back to actually following it. There are MANY issues that we need to bring to the “people that represent us” and hold them accountable and I believe that the TEA Party agenda is only the beginning of this cause…we are gathering in numbers across the Nation and those numbers are growing with each bill that passes, each unnecessary apology, and each dollar that is spent needlessly…we are getting frustrated and the TEA Party events are allowing all of our concerns to be heard uniformly. Please take a few hours out of your Fourth of July and unite with us! Dee

4pm at the Northeast Corner of the Traverse City Civic Center!  Wear your comfy shoes, bring your creative signs (family oriented) and join the other hundreds of people that share your concerns!

As summer is always a busy time with the Cherry Festival in Traverse City, I am always looking to have a little escape possibility on the side.  This year, The National Cherry Festival STARTS on July 4, and I figure the northbound traffic will be heavier than the southbound.  I plan to attend the Lansing Tea Party event which starts at 1:00pm and ends at 3:00pm.   In fact, I am entertaining the thought of hosting a bus trip once again, as even Lansing is going to have its share of travelers, and traffic is sure to be uncomfortable.

There might also be Tea Party activity in TC and other cities as well that day, and I am waiting on confirmations before posting any schedules. (*hint to tea party organizers)  As the Month wears on, I will post updates as soon as I receive them.  For those who want to become more active and help to make the Tea Parties affect policy, you might want to take a look at participating in the Tea Party Convention! A sort of Leadership conference which will help you make a difference and help us consolidate our voices so as to be heard over the noise of silence of our accepted main stream media.

Independence from unearned control, is a concept our founders took seriously enough to risk their lives for, and declared themselves to be free of the oppression brought about by masters who had little connection (whole continents away) to their lives other than to feed from their productivity through unwarranted taxes.  The “soft” tyranny we experience today is hardly as physically threatening as facing the redcoats with the defense of only a pitchfork in the 1700s. But the threat to our liberty, and a threat of allowing foreign nations having a say on how we live our lives is a far greater reason to stand up and say “I choose freedom.”

And how are we allowing others who do not share our belief sets, our fundamental principles, our glue that binds us as a family of traditionalists with freedoms no other countries allow?  We offer up our agreements, and capitulation on certain issues, one at a time. We give in to the small demands that aggregately dissipates the rights we claim to hold as God given, and unbreakable.  We allow the best intentions to obfuscate the reality of an ever growing authoritarian reality; that of a dictatorial regime that makes or breaks banks, producers, or those who speak up against it.

It is most certainly a time to rally.  It is a time to gather with those you trust, who feel as you do, that we tread on the reality that silence in the face of danger gives no warning to that danger, and that a bell un-rung alerts no one of the perils that loom.  Perils of the taking of all that you have built, worked towards, fought for with honor, and sacrificed to gain.  It is a time to muster the strength of the many to retake that which is rightfully ours, god given and to be protected by our founding documents.

Independence day, July 4, 2009 will be perhaps only another day for another Tea Party to some, or merely another date on the calendar, and another gathering with people objecting to current government policy.  But for those who hold the belief that we can hold off the perhaps inevitable fall of this great nation for a few generations longer by educating our future leaders about our resolve and wish to remain free, it will be a new Independence day where we reclaim our voices and the will to fight back the ever growing tyranny.

God Bless America..