Over the Hedge by T Lewis and Michael Fry for July 01, 2013

Does not translate to ‘Redneck’

I was ten. It was raining on the 4th. Tried launching a rocket up the fireplace chimney. Forgot about the damper thingy. That was exciting. Local fire department decided I was insane and needed parental guidance.

got to love this nation of ours. we celebrate our independence from england by blowing up a chunk of it every year, even if we still have a special relationship with england(so much so, that we follow their royal family).

It was suggested that the 4th be celebrated by music and fanfare (fireworks and such) to celebrate our declaration of independence and winning our freedom becoming a new nation.It was nothing personal against Britain. It was just the colonists were being treated as inferiors with no rights or justice considering most were from England or living under English blessings.The idea was No Taxation without Representation. Colonists had no voice in Parliament so that was a driving force behind the rebellion. It was expected to be a diplomatic solution.

4th of July in England is known as The Revolt of the Colonies.

When a teenager, I tryed to throw a firecracker out a moving car window at a teachers house. The window was closed. What a mess.

When I was young and stupid, a few of us drove out into the country, stopped by a field where cows were grazing and slingshotted a cherry bomb over the cows. When it went off the area was lit up and the look on the cows’ faces was classic. Remember, I said I was stupid, OK?

Of course we had fireplaces in Illinois. Came in very useful when the winter snow-storms or March ice-storms pulled down the power lines.“Constant reader”

I had a Canadian tell me our national anthem was full of violence with all the talk about bombs and rockets. He pointed out how his was just about how “great” they are. I pointed out the French National anthem. They talk about disemboweling folks and going to war making the blood of the enemies fertilize their soil.I also pointed out we had another anthem America, the Beautiful. It was like Canada’s being all “beautiful” and such.I like the 4th. Its a day off. Play Call of Duty online. Listen to the fireworks going off. Reminds me of Nam. The big air burst rounds sound just like mortars in combat.

ypoons7666: Hardly. The (Congreve) “rockets red glare” was in the 1812 war. John Adams suggested “illuminations” as one of the ways we should celebrate independence every July second! Handel wrote some great background music for a fireworks show for one of the early King Georges (Second, I think since the First only understood German and seldom visited Britain.