Ah yes. The 4th of July. One of those few times where being patriotic isn’t considered “over-the-top”….
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a day where people can wallow in their own made-up guilt and tell everybody why we genuinely suck….

..and, of course, a day to ignore those people as if they were lethal and focus on reality. Tonight, a Midnight Run that will probably be considered unapologetic flag-waving. Personally, I consider it catharsis after the apology tours and general “America Sucks” articles throughout the news-streams for the last 6 months. You can only handle so much before you start to get angry at it, and considering that I and every other American have endured six months of “America Sucks” and “We’re Sorry For Everything” tours, I think it’s nice to finally be able to come out of the woodwork and shoot back.

1.) Tea Party. Speaking of coming of the woodwork, thousands of Americans are taking to the streets AGAIN for a 2nd round of protests. Yes, it seems that the massive spending, not reading bills with MASSIVE tax hikes on them, and the alarmist need to do everything behind closed doors so that the unwashed people that politicians work for don’t see just how they’re being violated was
and still is angering a ton of people. Last time around, an estimated 300,000 people took to the streets. This time, nobody has any idea what’s going to happen. The only thing certain is that the media will again call them “tea bagging rednecks” and other terms just barely safe for television.

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A second round of “domestic terrorism.” Oh yes, I’m quite sure people remember that little report.

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Of course, there are threats against the protestors. But then again, what could one POSSIBLY expect?

To those of you viewing this in the Pittsburgh area, check this out.
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2.) Soldiers.
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This video is a stunner not because of graphics or sound (it doesn’t really have much of either.) This video is shot from a vehicle that is part of a funeral procession for an American Soldier who was killed in action. The focus is not on what’s ahead of the car, but what’s next to it. It is 12 minutes long, and a fine video with a great point.

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And then there’s this from the FOX News team. In “The History of The Internet Movement” I had noted that FNC’s FOX Nation concept was, at that point, simply news with a comments section. It has definitely evolved. This project was simple. FNC asked for photos from viewers of their military relatives. They would then take the images and put them into a tribute video. This is the result. Of course, FNC was not content to simply put a slideshow together, and instead gave it the production values that one would expect; especially from FOX News, whose production ranks just below the graphics of ESPN’s SportsCenter.

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Also from the FOX Nation; Wounded Marine Runs Charity Marathon to Honor Fallen Comrades.

3.) Americans.
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I’ve linked to this several times for years now, and I stand by it. It is one of the best places on the net, especially for a piece like this one that is focused on REAL Americans as opposed to the ones who hate everything they see about the country, but paradoxically decide against leaving it because this is the only country wherein hating your country doesn’t get you killed or arrested like China, Venezuela, Russia, or (more recently) Iran among other places.

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Glenn Beck received a letter from an extremely disillusioned viewer. The letter is well-written, and Beck nails the presentation.

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A Rasmussen poll. The headline says everything you need to know. “82% Would Choose Living in U.S. Over Anywhere Else.”

4.) Flag Story.
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From WFAA Dallas/Fort Worth comes the story of a Marine who’s American Flag had been vandalized, and the Soldier who gave him a replacement that was flown in Iraq.

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5.) History.
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Like Real American Stories I’ve linked to this before. And like RAS I continue to stand by it. One of the best online archives of….well….the work of the Founding Fathers.

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This is gift for those of you with iPod Touches and iPhones (all 3 models are fine.) “Manual for the United States of America. The app costs a mere $1.00 and comes with the founding documents (The Declaration of Independence, the flawed Articles of Confederation and it’s successor, the Constitution, etc.) and much more. While it would be really nice if this app shipped with all iPhones and iPod Touches from the start (as one commenter noted,) sadly it doesn’t.

As an aside, another commenter noted “Most wouldn’t know all of this after completing high school or college. Now it’s all at your fingertips.” Draw your own conclusions as to why this comment was highlighted.

If you’d rather just have the Constitution and Declaration, those are offered as separate, free, applications.

And with that, and after around 14 additions and revisions, the 2nd Annual Independence Day MR comes to an end. A nice change of pace compared to the usual. If all goes according to plan tomorrow, I will have a ton of content for the day. I hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s set.

Over, out, and Happy Independence Day.
- Jordan