Let FREEDOM Ring Today As In 1776

The older I get the faster life seems to be flying by. Have not posted for almost a month, I think about an idea and then the phone rings or I get distracted. Today is the 4th of July, a day set aside to be thankful for our freedom, at least that is what it used to mean. Today I am not so sure. Everyday I hear of another "great" idea from our Government designed to take away our freedom and liberty that our forefathers fought and gave their lives for. The men and women we have elected to defend our rights seem to be trying to take them away, piece by piece, bill by bill. I fear soon the America I love will no longer be. I received the following email about what happened to those men who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. I want to share it with you.Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence ?

• Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

• Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

• Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

• They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

• What kind of men were they?

• Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated,but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

• Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy.He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

• Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

• Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

• At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

• Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

• John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste.For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much too ask for the price they paid. Remember: Freedom is never free! It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball.

What would the above mentioned men think of the way our Government is trampling on the Freedom and Liberty they gave their lives for ?? We continually say, "God Bless America" ! We should be saying, "America Bless God" ! Until next time,"Keep Your Eyes on Jesus !!"