Gentleman Jim says:
March 18th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
"I grew up in a dead hard Yankee New England town. There were over 600
graves of local men who fought in the American War for Independence
from England beginning in 1775.
I was recently reading selected passages from the diary of a noted
townsman of the time leading up to the Revolution and during the war
itself.
Paraphrasing:" Considering we stand at the vanguard advancing the
notion of Independence from tyranny, I would estimate that 25% of the
town remains loyal to the King, 25% would give their lives to rid us of
the Crown, and 50% give not a wit or whim which side prevails as they
are comfortable on the fence rail.
This was in the best of New England towns supporting the Revolution.
I say this to remind everyone not to romanticize or sugar coat history.
Most people are fence sitters, throughout history, even in the most
dire circumstances with the most obvious choices.
The present majority in this country have not even been asked to
sacrifice much of anything in the last decade or so except their tax
dollars. The average American has certainly not been asked to give
their life or love or sacred honor for anything other than
pre-packaged, blow dried, Coporate Pseudo-Patriotism.
Almost 50% on average don't even vote much less get off their duffs
to express an intelligent opinion on the trials of the day.
The polls numbers today are theoretically encouraging to some but
merely may only indicate the theoretical flesh is weak."
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