Independence Day

[magid]

Happy Fourth of July to all the USians reading. This morning I went downtown to hear the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence, which has happened at the old State House in Boston each year since 1776. Which I hadn't heard about until last year, surprisingly.

There was a salute at the burying grounds across from the Old South Meeting House, then a parade (military, not huge floats or high school marching bands) continued to the old State House. After the Pledge of Allegiance and an historical introduction, the Declaration was read from the balcony of the old State House, flanked on either side by reproductions of the original lion and unicorn that had been burned by the patriots after hearing the original reading.

And though the man reading the Declaration didn't have a particularly good speaking voice, it hit home yet again just how disturbing the path this country has taken in the last couple of years, as the list of grievances went on, and some of them sounded far too familiar. The phrase that particularly leaped out at me was "disavow these usurpations," which is so what I would like to do...

As the parade continued on to Faneuil Hall, there were many firearms discharged (I believe most of them muskets or other period pieces) as historically-dressed companies marched by behind modern sailors. And there were other historically-dressed people about, as well. My favorite of these was Abraham Lincoln. And there were political activists about, including Billionaires for Bush, handing out green 'billion dollar' bills, including the slogan "four more wars."

Side note: early this morning, there were already people starting to crowd the Esplanade for this evening's concert (Has it already started? I don't know.), and boats lined up in the river, groups of four or five boats anchored together.

Comments

[bitty.livejournal.com]

Billionaires for Bush

Was the fol perchance there?

[magid.livejournal.com]

Nope. Someone Gnomi recognized, and two others, all dressed up, dragging a huge model of a bell around.

[missdimple.livejournal.com]

Um, I think you might mean a different meeting house. The Old South Meeting House is right next to one of the State Street T stop exits, across from Borders, across from my work, and down the street from the Old State House. I'm pretty sure there aren't any dead people in that area. And if I'm wrong, cool, because it means I can walk across the street to see them.

[magid.livejournal.com]

OK, I misplaced it a bit: the dead people are up the street a couple of blocks from the Old South Meeting House. I'm still blanking on the name of the burying ground, though, which is a couple of blocks from the Common and Park St. station. Still very walkable for you, though.

[hauntmeister.livejournal.com]

it hit home yet again just how disturbing the path this country has taken in the last couple of years, as the list of grievances went on, and some of them sounded far too familiar.

Oh, yes. Our own King George II just keeps ticking off more items on the bullet list.

[ckd]

George III. The first one served as President right before John Adams.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Was GW really that bad?

[ckd]

I don't think so, but he was named George.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Ah... I'd assumed that Hauntmeister was referring to the recent presidents he disagreed with, not all rulers George.