Jack of Harts

The Second Great Depression devastated America’s political powers. They had claimed for generations that there would always be more money to pay everything they promised to pay. Both the old Democrat and Republican parties were on an express train to bankruptcy as they robbed Peter to pay Paul. Or whoever happened to be the oppressed racial, economic, or religious minority of the day. Partisan politics divided America far more than anything could fully bring back together. And when the economic system came crashing down, the prepared bunkered up and started shooting looters like cordwood. The unprepared died when the looters came calling, and the remains of the old networks broadcast the fires for everybody to see. Some people called it a Second Civil War, others a Second Rebellion. The political extremists on both sides failed to realize how divorced they had become from the rest of America, and when it came time to fish or cut bait, the great majority of Americans cut both major parties up into kindling. Yes. I’m mixing metaphors here. It was a confusing and complex time, you know. 😉

Today we celebrate the day that a group of well-armed men came together and did something crazy.

They came from every major religion in America, from Catholics to Unitarians to Congregationalists and more. They were men of politics and business. They were old men and young men. Some were great orators. Others preferred silence. Some would be ruined by what they did. Others rose to prominence because of it. One of them would become the first President of the nation born out of this action, and dared the British to come get him by signing his name as large as possible.

They did not wish to be taxed without being represented. They did not wish to be forced to buy things they did not wish to buy. They did not wish the government to take their firearms away from them. They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to break the American colonies away from the King of England, the most powerful empire of the day.

Today we celebrate that they did not fail. That America lives because of them.

So go ahead and celebrate the birth of our nation by blowing a piece of it up. Trust me. Our founders would totally understand how that feels.

The United States of America in Jack’s time officially includes the States, territories, and colonies throughout the Solar System, as well as the territories and colonies beyond the Oort Cloud. Yes, there are numerous American States on Mercury, Venus, Mars, Luna, and several other moons and planetoids throughout the Solar System. They have full representation in the Federal Government. There are no States outside the Solar System, though there are many systems who fly the American flag, govern themselves, and pay the lesser tax rates of States rather than territories or colonies. The cutoff for applying for such status is usually when they gain agricultural and industrial self-sufficiency. Once they can feed and defend themselves without homeworld support, America has graciously decided to grant them autonomy. Yes, there are charges of taxation without representation. Very few of them have resulted in open rebellion because America generally sees the wisdom of letting them have their sovereignty rather than trying to hold onto them against their will. You could say we learned that lesson with George Washington and have tried to remember it.