Independence Day

stuff 108 Comments

To the most generous, forgiving and thick-skinned nation on earth – and the best friend a country ever had: it’s an honour to number so many of you among my regular readers.
Have a safe and happy holiday.

108 Replies to “Independence Day”

  1. The young lady outside a hotel in Kelowna asked me what the date was. As is my Celtic/loquacious wont, before answering I told her that I was guessing she was on vacation and having a very nice holiday, to which she exclaimed (just like Sybil in Fawlty Towers): “You’re American aren’t you?”. Taken by surprise I asked her what gave her that idea. She told me, “Well, I’m just back from a few weeks in America and was surprised at how friendly they are to total strangers, so I thought maybe you were American.”
    Nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me! I ride several weeks a year stateside and am continuously amazed at how open, friendly, and keen to converse Americans are. Example: it is absolutely impossible to sit at a bar with a Atlas and not have several people strike up conversations with you and to offer guidance.
    Thanks Kate for that superb and cryptic synopsis! And yes, WLMR and Exile, get some elementary social skills, eh?
    I’m not absolutely sure of this but I believe Leonard Cohen said: “You’re not gonna like what comes after America”. Shudder.

  2. To the Canadians here who prefer the USA to Canada: why don’t you move? (Please!)
    Done! I took my family of four, tax paying, six figure income south of the border in 1996.
    It pained me to leave my homeland behind but life is too short and my children’s future too important.

  3. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, here is a link to Canadian newspaperman Gordon Sinclair’s famous 1973 broadcast, The Americans – tinyurl.com/2lmd4
    When Mr. Sinclair died, President Ronald Reagan said, “I know I speak for all Americans in saying the radio editorial Gordon wrote in 1973 praising the accomplishments of the United States was a wonderful inspiration. It was not only critics abroad who forgot this nation’s many great achievements, but even critics here at home. Gordon Sinclair reminded us to take pride in our nation’s fundamental values.”
    I agree with Mr. Sinclair.

  4. Thank you, neighbo(u)rs to the North.
    FReegards-
    -from the swamps of Georgia…

  5. I need to correct myself. Jefferson wrote our Declaration of Independence, I wrote Constitution. I know better.

  6. Thank you, thank you, one and all.
    You know, America is pretty fortunate to have a great neighbor like Canada as well. Especially now that the Chretien-Martin era is over.
    America and Canada, united we stand, divided we fall.

  7. “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
    Their signatures made them traitors; if they had failed, their lives were forfeit.
    Stick that in your opinion poll and focus group bongs, and smoke it.
    Happy Independence Day

  8. Happy Independence Day; may we celebrate it one day.
    The best friend and neighbour a socialist kleptocracy citizen’s could have.
    Thank You!

  10. Canadians and Americans have more in common than anyone else in the world (despite the efforts of Trudeau and the left). To that end, as one friend to another, happy 4th of July.
    The exile comment should be seen for what it is, a typically foul troll dropping, but not uncommon.

  11. Many thanks, vitruvius, for pointing us to that marvellous tribute to ‘The Americans’ by Gordon Sinclair.
    It’s perfect – says it all. That generosity given without thought of ‘tit for tat’; that openness of spirit that could write a Declaration of Independence based upon freedom and acceptance of all – regardless of religion, ethnicity, background; that freedom of the spirit that is the basis of the incredible technological innovations and scientific achievements of the USA; and finally, that spirituality that still acknowledges that there is something greater than the human action.
    And – as Sinclair wrote – what does the US get in return? Nothing – but carping and pettiness.
    Thanks for reminding us that someone saw the reality of the US – and had the strength to say it openly.

  12. Yes, six Canadian soldiers died today, and it took Jack Layton of the NDP exactly 20 minutes to call a press conference to gloat, er, I mean, state his case that we shouldn’t be there.
    The fact that so many people think like Jack Layton, is proof enough that the average Canadian (in toronto) isn’t too bright.
    congratulations Jack Layton….I’m sure your words were a salve to the Taliban, though I’m not sure the families of these soldiers will see your political posturing atop their bodies as justified, or decent.
    Keep it up Jack…….you’re making the work of the Taliban extremists that much easier.

  14. “To the most generous, forgiving and thick-skinned nation on earth – and the best friend a country ever had:”
    Well Said Kate, and I fully agree, – Thanks.
    Joseph (Joe) Molnar,
    Woodstock, Ontario, canada.

  15. “To the most generous, forgiving and thick-skinned nation on earth – and the best friend a country ever had:”
    Well Said Kate, and I fully agree, – Thanks.
    Joseph (Joe) Molnar,
    Woodstock, Ontario, canada.

  16. “To the most generous, forgiving and thick-skinned nation on earth – and the best friend a country ever had:”
    Well Said Kate, and I fully agree, – Thanks.
    Joseph (Joe) Molnar,
    Woodstock, Ontario, canada.

  17. A joke sometime in the Cold War ’80s:
    Soviet schoolteacher: Why do we love the Motherland?
    Soviet student: Because She has liberated us!
    Soviet schoolteacher: And why do we hate America?
    Soviet student: … because it has not liberated us?
    The USA: first country to respond to any international disaster, usually in the useful form of boots on the ground and equipment/supplies. Want proof? Compare the US response to the 2004 tsunami to that of the completely worthless UN: done quickly and efficiently, but without thanks and typically enduring criticism throughout.
    The USA: non-imperial neighbour to another country with excessive natural resources, and a peaceful friend for some 195 years. Would anybody care to trade our neighbour to the south with other countries in the world (perhaps 1930’s Germany, Soviet Russia, China, et al)? America could easily assimilate Canada with only the use of a few large National Guard units… but there’s nary a peep since 1812. How many European or Asian countries can boast of a similar neighbour?
    The USA: the only superpower with the dubious honor of acting as the world’s policeman, and – thankfully, for many of the world’s oppressed – not entirely beholden to UN multilateralism. Again, without thanks & while enduring the snide criticism of lesser countries who’ve prostrated their own militaries to fund lavish social welfare schemes (ring a bell, Trudeaupia?).
    Does America have its faults? You bet. Is the world a better place with a strong & prosperous US part of it? You better bet on that, too.
    Americans – despite the incredible historical successes of their country – are utterly ruthless in pointing out every percieved national wart or flaw. Proof of this? Witness any of provacateur Michael Moore’s disgusting propagandistic “documentaries” where he sells out his country – even patriotism – for a fast buck. Can you imagine any other country in the world where roughly half of its voters would embrace such vileness and untruths, simply because they were in disagreement with the current government, or hated its leader?
    I know plenty of Canadians who sniff that Americans are loud, rude, brash, etc. In my travels, it’s the Canucks who show these qualities, and it’s the Americans who are polite, friendly, and interested in other people.
    I don’t understand USA-bashing, especially on Canada’s part (the liberals made it unofficial government policy). Apart from the fact it hilights our enormous national inferiority complex, I wonder why on earth a nation would bad-mouth another country that employed countless thousands of its citizens, and was the largest trading partner by some 85% or more.
    Happy Birthday, America. I wish you all the best, now and in the future.
    mhb23re
    at gmail d0t calm

  18. Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. I’ll take that over Peace Order and Good Government any day.
    Guess that makes me an asshole who should move.

  19. During the past 20 yrs, I have has the great pleasure of working (and playing) as part of three separate American-based companies, and I can truely say that the large majority of them are the finest and most genuine people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
    Have a great 4th of July y’all…you have every reason to celebrate, and take pride in the amount of good you have done in the world.

  20. I am a typical American, with the blood of many nations in my veins. On each Independence Day I think of my English forebears who were resolute enough to be successful after their 1620 landing. I think of my Scots forebears who numbered among that great diaspora, some directly to the USA and others here by way of Canada. I remember my Irish ancestors that fled famine and subjugation, and I also remember my German family that fled the Russian Czar’s draft for his bloody wars against the Turks and took to farming in the Dakotas and elsewhere. I also think about my wife’s grandfather, an Estonian that deserted the Czar’s army by jumping off a bridge into a fast river while his column marched over it. He fled to Finland and finally to the USA.
    I honor this great nation in many ways, and I also honor my country’s true friends. I give you my sincere thanks and wish you all the best up there in Canada.

  22. To Joe Molnar, a happy Canada/Independance Day from a brother Woodstonian.
    To Spurwing Plover, who I believe is a resident of the US, Happy Independance Day and keep those avian references coming through. They are often a refreshing reminder that humor is always appropriate.
    To the rest of you who live in the US, may God bless and keep you, you deserve it.

  23. So exile. We send our troops to Indonesia,3 weeks to late,while our PMPM gets his photo shots after the tsunami. And who are the first ones on the beach? The Americans,with food,medicine,and airlifts.Yeah. Them damn Yanks. Always there to help. I suggest you go be a human shield for the Taliban in A’fstan.Probably the most useful thing you will ever do,leftard a**hole.

  25. My parents were Americans living in Canada, so as a child I celebrated more 4th of July’s than Dominion Days.
    Sure would like to see a surge of Canadian National pride that was so evident in Americans.
    Happy Independence Day to my American friends and family!
    Thanks Kate..it needs to be said…often.

  26. ET: “Now- can we ignore the petty carpings of such as Ellen”
    Geez, ET, you’re not normally so thick; don’t you recognize satire when you see it?
    A Happy 4th to all Americans, whether they’re friends of mine or not.

  27. Happy 321 America!! Thank you for everything you’ve done. Stay strong. Stay free and resolute.
    Humanity’s guardian spirit.

  29. kevinb – yes, I was aware that it was a satire, a sarcastic bitter deriding of US’ actions around the world. That’s why I called it petty carping – because it ignored, totally, all that is good and just and admirable about the actions of the US around the world.
    Perhaps I should have said it was ignorant and malicious; that would be more accurate than ‘petty carping’.

  30. Wait a minute. Let me get this straight, Lilli.
    Pardon my lisp, but this is the to free one anniversary of the Declaration of Independence?
    Cool.

  33. In case you wondered: What is an American 4th of July like?
    The small city I live in, in a very rural state, had a 4th of July family picnic in the riverside downtown park. It started with a bike ride around the newly completed bike paths.
    The Mayor made a brief speech nobody heard while the city band played on.
    The sidewalks were jammed with parents and strollers, and kids on bicycles. Most everyone else favored the grass, in the shade of the trees.
    The motorcycle cops put on a show in the parking lot, and the city firetrucks made lots of whoop-whoop noises, both to much applause.
    A few disabled veterans had their wheelchairs proudly decked out in colors, and fit right in with the ribbons, flags, and general attitude.
    The local Pork Growers Association donated free roast pork sandwiches, and other local businesses contributed bags of chips, cans of soda, and ice cream bars. (Anyone know how many napkins are needed when twin toddlers are eating ice cream?).
    Everything was set up by volunteers, including the kids bike parade and judging of “best decorated”.
    Local Indians attended in large family groups – they’re proud of this place, too. The local cowboys put on a roping demonstration, and gave kids pony rides.
    Fireworks tonight, half hour after sunset, out at the fairgrounds.
    That’s really what happened here today. It wasn’t militaristic jingoism on display. It was families and strangers, the public and the official, all sharing an appreciation for this one common thing: the place we live.
    Thanks for expressing best wishes on this day.

  35. Why ??
    Why do the former East Block people appreciate the US of A and Western Europe does not ??
    [ In 1989, Poland became the first of the Soviet states to gain independence – and Poland will now become the first to acknowledge Mr. Reagan as a national liberator with heroic statuary. Measuring 10 feet high, the stone and bronze memorial will stand opposite the U.S. embassy in downtown Warsaw.]Globe
    Freed Poles Build One For The Gipper
    http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070704.wrreynolds04/GIStory/
    When the Balkans powder keg in Yugoslavia was threatening to blow all of Europe up — again, the US (mostly) saved Western Europe’s ass — again.
    IMO, a huge part of Canada’s high standard of living is because of our proximity (almost exclusive) to the largest economy in the world.
    A huge lift, especially for Ontario, was the Texas ranch signing of the Auto-Pack between Lyndon Johnston and Lester Pearson forty years ago.
    Our auto industry needed it a h*** of a lot more than the Americans did.
    Seems that Western Europe still cannot get over the Independence Day thing.

  36. Happy 4th of July to all of our neighbors in the States. Keep on truck’n, stay strong, stay compassionate, stay free. God bless.

  37. Vitruvius: Thanks a lot for that link. I would encourage sda friends to read this brief transcript and maybe circulate it to friends and acquantances who may need reminding.
    For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, here is a link to Canadian newspaperman Gordon Sinclair’s famous 1973 broadcast, The Americans –
    tinyurl.com/2lmd4

  38. I’ve visited 40 states,many of them more than once, (and more than twice, and more than….), and I’d be hard pressed to recall even one bad experience.
    LOVE the place!
    Happy Fourth.

  40. Fireworks just started here in southeast Pennsylvania on the edge of Amish country. Happy 4th to my American friends!!

  41. Thanks Kate. As an American living in Canada, it’s nice to hear someone say they appreciate what the USA means to Canada.
    God knows I’ve heard the bashing every week of the 10 years I’ve lived in Ontario.

  42. Kate, please don’t forget to add FRIENDLIEST to the list as well – I’ve never met an American citizen who wasn’t really friendly!

  43. Canada is a puffed up self-important vortex of hate and envy at this time in history. We used to be better.
    Regardless, there are a lot of us who still hold some traditional values and one of them is to value our bond with our great neighbor and friend the USA.
    Without you we would be an unimportant vortex of poverty and slavery.
    Happy Forth of July and I wish you a million more.

  45. I like SDA’s version of talking to Americans.
    Rick Mercer’s version, not at all.
    Happy Independence Day!

  46. Thanks for all of your well-wishes. I love my Canadian friends and tolerate those too lazy to know the truth.

  47. “God knows I’ve heard the bashing every week of the 10 years I’ve lived in Ontario.”
    That’s hilarious. Without the Big 3 US automakers, Southern Ontario would be a maritime province without oil and gas reserves.
    Idiots.

  48. When I used to travel across Canada I would always detour through the states,not because of the scenery,but because of the people.God Bless America.

  49. Thanks to those helpful persons who took the time to help me get around Washington DC who may not see this but some Washingtonians will.
    Thanks to those who quickly became friends in Corpus Christi and got me into *air-conditioning*. Thanks to Oil rig guy and wife who made such great Tex-Mex food and magic re-fried bean dishes. Best Mexican food ever!
    Thanks to the ex-military guy who smoked cigars and drove the biggest white caddy in Corpus for the fun times we had. [Western club bar with chicken wire stage curtain, a la Blues Bros.]
    Thanks to the motorcycle dealer who loaned me a beautiful rocket to enjoy in the dusty dunes out behind the lemon groves for an afternoon behind Ventura California.
    Even though he knew a sale was not likely at the time, he was glad that I had enjoyed his very valuable bike and smiled a whole lot as I thanked him sincerely.
    Thanks to the US Navy guys who worked alongside here and there,[can*t be too exact about where], long time ago when I was in it.
    Good natured, fun loving guys.
    And US Naval *Brass* Goodson too.
    The US of America is a marvellous country because of AMERICANS.
    A few Canadians are sort of reserved about the U.S. only because they may not have visited there much so far.
    Americans will win them over in time. = TG

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