Mindset! What Mindset?

According to several dictionaries a mindset is:

Mindset:  a fixed frame of reference, the minds orientation or perspective. The mental grid a person uses to filter data from their environment.

Noun: a set of beliefs or a way of thinking that determines one's behavior, outlook and mental attitude.

Mentality:  a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.

There are all kinds of ‘mindsets’ that we develop over the course of our lives and all of them are important in determining just how we act, react and move through our world during our daily lives.  As always, there are degrees to any mindset and some requirements – personal, mental and physical.

For instance, at the root of a self-reliant mindset is a conscious effort of replacing an "I need help" attitude with an "I can do it myself" attitude.  Therein lies the silver-lining of self-reliance; when you achieve even a modicum of it, you feel really good about yourself.

I found this fancy psychological study done on mindsets to determine what traits or attributes hinder or help a person with any particular mindset.  What the long, wordy study said was that basically all mindsets are either of the Fixed or Growth type. 

The more ‘growth’ mindsets you have, the more adaptive and resilient you are – the better capable you are to not only survive adverse situations, but thrive.

While a Lifestyle is:

Lifestyle:  A way of living of individuals, families (households), and societies, which they manifest in coping with their physical, psychological, social, and economic environments on a day-to-day basis.  Lifestyle is expressed in both work and leisure behavior patterns and (on an individual basis) in activities, attitudes, interests, opinions, values, and allocation of income. It also reflects people's self image or self concept; the way they see themselves and believe they are seen by the others. Lifestyle is a composite of motivations, needs, and wants and is influenced by factors such as culture, family, reference groups, and social class. The analysis of consumer life styles (called psychographics) is an important factor in determining how consumers make their purchase decisions.

Noun: the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc., that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group.

Adjective: pertaining to or catering to a certain lifestyle: unhealthy lifestyle choices; lifestyle advertising; a luxury lifestyle hotel; suggestive of a fashionable or desirable lifestyle a lifestyle café

A mindset and a life style are similar in that the mindset is how we view or ‘filter’ what we see around us and how we react to it.  While a life style is what we do to meet our fuzzy wuzzy side of wellness and how we want others to see us while doing it.

Over the years I have worked with seniors that needed to downsize because of health and or the economy.  Just about all of them felt that they were somehow losing their status in society by downsizing.   Now some of these people felt that anything under 3,000 sq ft was just right or small.  Granted that might be true if there are 6 or more of you in a home, or a household member is claustrophobic, but the reality is that that is a huge home for the majority of US households of 4 or less and in most cases that much space is not being utilized.

Up until the late 1800’s to early 1900’s closets in homes were small as most people only had a few articles of clothing and rooms were much smaller or cozy.  In the 1980’s large master bedrooms with walk-in closets and master baths was all the rage.  Remember the sales pitches or the marketing and advertizing; “Have your own master suite”, “Relax in luxury in your own private spa-like bath” and the like?   Yet just how often do these people utilize all the clothes in their closets or relax in their master bedrooms and baths?  Yet they are paying for it with their mortgages, time to clean and maintain and money to heat and cool these underutilized rooms.

Then there is the old stand-by of “Look good, feel good”, which is great for depression riddled people but has absolutely no value to people who accept life as it really is.  Reality lifestyles are people that know that how we feel and perceive ourselves to be, is rooted in our own minds and not our outward appearances.

That is not to say that the people living in reality are not happy and content with life, because I can assure you most of us are and then some!  The real difference is how we perceive ourselves and civilization.  We have become a society driven by stuff and convenience.  We have been lead to believe that the more stuff, the flashier the stuff, the more expensive the stuff we surround ourselves with equates to success, wealth and beauty.  The reality is that this is just stuff and success, wealth and beauty are not attributes that can be readily displayed.  We can project the illusion of them, but display it to achieve it – NO.  Studies around the globe have proven that people that are truly content and happy in life usually don’t have tons of stuff around them and that people who are striving to reach this state of mind do.  The realist knows the difference and still strives to fulfill their dreams in the face of it – without any illusions.

What does all this have to do with preparedness? 

In many ways being prepared, having the preparedness mindset, is a lifestyle change, however in a very real sense it is not.  Instead it is merely an extension of frugality, positive thinking, readiness, faith and common sense used to control some of the many factors in our environment.  This means that the changes to our lifestyles for preparedness are rather superficial and not bone deep.  True you have to live it to have it; however it does not require much in outward changes to our lifestyles.

When thinking of preparedness or survival in a worst case scenario, most people focus on storing food, water, medicine, fire starters and other survival gear.  We prepare ourselves in every way imaginable.  But how many of us stop long enough to prepare ourselves mentally?  To prepare our mindset to survive and thrive?

So, what is the preparedness mindset? 

It is a mental attitude you take on that breaks you from your normalcy bias, or the mentality that nothing bad can happen to a person.

With Preparedness this means having more than insurance policies, first Aid kits, bug-out bags and meeting places for our families.  It means being ready, spiritually, economically, intellectually and physically.

There really is nothing to be afraid of because we are already more capable than we can imagine.  If we are prepared spiritually, economically, intellectually and physically; then when the time comes, we will be able to tap into our inner survivor and stay focused and strong - no matter what is thrown at us in a SHTF world.

This will be much easier for us, if we prepare ourselves ahead of time.  And the sooner we start training our mind and body the better they will respond when the time comes.

Remember that 99.99% of the disasters we will encounter will NOT involve a widespread, government/world altering event.  Instead they will take the form of lost jobs, accidents, medical issues, fire, crime, etc., followed by the usual severe weather and natural planetary issues. 

Key points from the Pro’s on Preparedness/Survival Mindsets:

In all my research on a Preparedness Mindset, a few things stood out as being the most important.  Now granted these are those relatively intangible, fuzzy wuzzy things, and no matter how hard they are to describe and implement - they are vital to a healthy preparedness mindset!

• A Positive Mental Attitude – Can Do, Will Do rather than Can’t or Won’t

•  A Firm Grasp of Reality – Fact oriented rather than conjecture or perception, allowing calm informed action vs panic-like uninformed reaction.

These two factors appeared in article after article, book after book, study after study.  Since they were repeated so frequently this places them at the top of the Preparedness Mindset requirement list.

Read on to find out what else makes up a Preparedness Mindset @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/104447717/Mindset-What-Mindset


"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
Winston Churchill

TNT

Perspective - Operation Vigilant Guard

I have received many alarming and outright threatening emails about Operation Vigilant Guard.  Now since I have no desire to run around scared out of my wits all the time and like to put things into perspective I did my usual research thing on this.

As far I can tell Operation Vigilant Guard was proposed by name in 2006 but mentioned in 'mission' in the Patriot Act of 2001.  It was first budgeted for by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2007.  Between 2007 and 2008 ten to 20 states took part in any given year. 

Since it encompasses US National Guard, standard US military branches (special teams like CERN and CBRN & MP) as well as civilian volunteer groups, like the Baptist National Relief Group and US defense contractors, it appears to be different states during different years participating, with states that tend to get more frequent 'natural disasters' participating each year since 2007. 

It is classified as a National Level Exercise (NLE). The Vigilant Guard exercise program is sponsored by US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) in conjunction with the National Guard Bureau (NGB). The program provides State National Guard Headquarters and supporting units with an opportunity to improve cooperation and operational relationships with their civilian, federal and military partners in preparation for domestic emergencies and catastrophic events.

The local library didn't have much on this and when you search the web 99% of all the links to the first 50 pages of search results are for 2009-2012.  The 10 or so articles I found (outside of the national guard links, where I looked for local newspaper online presences) for 2007 & 2008 were very positive and often stressed that this was to reduce the confusion, lag-time and screw-ups that occurred during Katrina.  Anything after 2008 from the public media seems to be sensationalism and fear mongering ... because when you read the actual agendas on the national guard sites, the exercises are the same as previous years like 2007 & 2008 - when hardly anyone shouted an alarm!. 

When I search various state's government hazard and or preparedness websites, Operation Vigilant Guard was often referred to as the way CERT (Civilian Emergency Response Teams), MARS, RACES and a whole slew of other civilian groups (including the Civilian Air Patrol) volunteers to become involved with their states emergency plans and to be prepared.

This 'operation' does not scare me and most certainly not like Operation Garden Plot, aka The Department of Defense Civil Disturbance Plan (18 USC 1385 Posse Comitatus Act) which is a general U.S. Army and National Guard plan to respond to major domestic civil disturbances within the United States and are  joint military, law enforcement & civilian exercises. The plan was developed in response to the civil disorders of the 1960s and is now under the control of the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM). Yes, this is the same group that controls Operation Vigilant Guard so it does warrant watching.  It provides Federal military and law enforcement assistance to local governments during times of major civil disturbances.  The Pentagon also activated it to restore order during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. Garden Plot was last activated (as Noble Eagle under NSA & later DHS) to provide military assistance to civil authorities following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

To top it off: the concept of Garden Plot was spelled out in the Patriot Act by name:  "Oversight of these homeland security missions should be provided by the National Guard Bureau based on the long-standing Garden Plot model in which National Guard units are trained and equipped to support civil authorities in crowd control and civil disturbance missions." Testimony of Major General Richard C. Alexander, ANGUS (Ret.), Executive Director, National Guard Association of the United States, Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing on Homeland Defense, April 11, 2002. 
 
Since the 9-11 attack DHS has used 'Garden Plot' guidelines for other continuing "operations" and "missions" including Fast & Furious.  Which is why it scares me way more than this Operation Vigilant Guard!

On top of that Operation Vigilant Guard was awarded very few funds in the 2012 NDAA budget, as it is mostly a state funded NLE operation. While the new versions of Operation Garden Plot was awarded close to 1 billion from both the NDAA budget as well as the DOJ budget (the DOJ budget bill does not receive the public scrutiny that the DOD NDAA bill does) and is a full federal level NLE JTF (joint task force) operation.

I will grant you this:  In states like say, California (among a few others) BOTH operations took place as a combined event, their newspapers even listed them as such and THAT I find alarming!

One basic reality check we should all use no matter what our beliefs, is this:

If our town were devastated by something that produced mass displacement, mass casualties and mass  mortalities - What would we expect the authorities to do?
   
Remember whatever this crisis is,  it will NOT just hit us God fearing, law abiding citizens - it will hit the prisons and jails too ... meaning all the people running around will be a mix of “the good, the bad and the ugly”!
   
           
We would need shelter, food, water, medical, spiritual, communication, transportation, defense, safety and security - to name a few necessities.
   
Mortalities will need to be addressed for humans, animals, pets and livestock to reduce the spread of bacterial diseases caused by decaying bodies (not to mention the smell); we humans will want closure on our beloved pets and loved ones; escaped criminals will need to be rounded up to protect us, we will need medical attention, shelter, food, clothing and whole slew of other things to survive let alone recover.

Next consider that exercises like rapelling are part of getting into an area when access roads are not available and have been utilized not just by the military but in Urban and wilderness S&R for decades.   
  
Night flying and rapelling is much more hazardous than daylight operations, especially in urban areas with all the higher buildings, electrical wires, towers and the like ... that takes practice just to be sure our 'rescuers' do not die in the attempt!  Of course that also means any military needs to practice for the same reasons too.

Now if this was you or a loved one, say; trapped on a roof with rising waters all around you – do you want to wait until daylight for rescue or to be rescued by untrained and unprepared personnel?

How on earth do we expect any entity to do this without pre-planning,  pre-budgeting,  supply storage units, predesignated housing sites (or camps) and replacement of items as they exceed their shelf life?  Remember shelf life is not just about food and drugs it’s about tires, body bags, ropes, clothing, paint, fuel and just about everything else we may need to recoup from a disaster.

Reality is that we can either have a discombobulated, unplanned and unprepared for response or we can have a pre planned, pre funded and pre practiced plan and response that coordinates civilian and governmental entities - in place before a crisis hits and actually have a chance at an effective and efficient response of help and assistance.  Of course this means that we must keep a vigilant eye out for abuse of these plans, however the plans alone are nothing but simple common sense and not tyrannical in and of themselves.

Bottom line: Since I have not and do not, trust the US government (at any level) any farther than I can spit, I would say it is always wise to keep a watchful eye out.  In this case however, the various state events so far, do not appear to warrant an alarm of Martial Law or Police State from Operation Vigilant Guard (unlike Operation Garden Plot).

Note: When one of my friends reviewed and double checked this writing they said:  “Excellent research and a great service to American citizens.  Unwarranted panic reduces our effectiveness when our alarm is really needed.  It is impossible physically, psychologically and mentally to stay on red alert all the time and often leads to missing signs that warrants our concern.  Great job! :)”
    
 Knowledge is Power - Be Prepared, Not Scared

TNT

This can be downloaded from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/102690249/Perspective-Operation-Vigilant-Guard

Top 10 GMO Foods to Avoid Eating and Produce Pesticide Dirty Dozen & Clean 15

An infographic on GMO foods to avoid and Pesticide in Produce, the 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean 15'

To download and or print see  (formatted for Legal Sized paper):  Top 10 GMO Foods to Avoid Eating and Produce Pesticide Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 http://www.scribd.com/doc/102086285/Top-10-GMO-Foods-to-Avoid-Eating-Produce-Pesticide-Dirty-Dozen-Clean-15

Today is the Tomorrow that you worried about Yesterday

TNT

The Revolving Door Between Gov't And Big Business Infographic

An infographic on how our government is all intertwined with big business - No wonder we can't get an honest deal!

To view this more easily see: The Revolving Door Between Gov't And Big Business Infographics  http://www.scribd.com/doc/102086244/The-Revolving-Door-Between-Gov-t-Big-Business-Infographics

Keep On Preppin'

TNT

Flies Create Garbage the same as Guns Create Crime

“After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it.”
William Burroughs, 1992

With the movie theater shooting in Aurora, CO, I can see the battle lines being drawn.  The news is quick to point out that the shooter purchased his firearms and 100 round magazine legally and some items from the internet.  Yet the media is not talking about all the people who are injured and are killed each year by vehicles and many from ‘under the influence’ drivers. 

“The philosophy of gun control: Teenagers are roaring through town at 90MPH, where the speed limit is 25.
Your solution is to lower the speed limit to 20.”
Sam Cohen
(inventor of the neutron bomb)

Fact is more US citizens perish and get injured each year via vehicles than firearms;  many, many more die from heart attacks than vehicles or firearms.

The data from the 1990 Harvard Medical Practice Study suggest that 150,000 Americans die every year from doctors' negligence -- compared with 38,000 gun deaths annually. Why are doctors not declared a public health menace? Because they save more lives than they take. And so it is with guns. Every year, good Americans use guns about 2.5 million times to protect themselves and their families, which means 65 lives are protected by guns for every life lost to a gun.
Dr. Edgar Suter,
San Francisco Chronicle, 7/12/94, Opinion (p. A17)

“When I began my research on guns in 1976, like most academics, I was a believer in the 'antigun' thesis. ... It seemed then like self-evident common sense which hardly needed to be empirically tested. ... [But] the best currently available evidence, imperfect though it is (and must always be), indicates that general gun availability has no measurable net positive effect on rates of homicide, suicide, robbery, assault, rape, or burglary in the U.S. ... Further, when victims have guns, it is less likely aggressors will attack or injure them and less likely they will lose property in a robbery. ... The positive associations often found between aggregate levels of violence and gun ownership appear to be primarily due to violence increasing gun ownership, rather than the reverse.”
Gary Kleck,
Prof. Florida State Univ, Sch of Criminology from a speech given to the Nat'l Academy of Sciences, 1991, as reported by Don B. Kates, Jr. in "Shot Down", National Review, March 6, 1995, pages 49-54.

“Since police started keeping statistics, we now know that assault weapons are/were used in an underwhelming 0.026 of 1% of crimes in New Jersey. This means that my officers are more likely to confront an escaped tiger from the local zoo than to confront an assault rifle in the hands of a drug-crazed killer on the streets.”
Joseph Constance
(deputy chief of Trenton NJ police dept) in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Aug 1993


Our Constitution and Bill of Rights grants each US citizen the right and freedom of CHOICE and the opportunity to pursue happiness. 

"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars."
Anonymous

As a result I will fight staunchly against any law that says every citizen must own a firearm, as I will against any law that says we citizens cannot own a firearm!

“Both the oligarch and Tyrant mistrust the people,
and therefore deprive them of arms.”
Aristotle

I only ask for the freedom of choice.  You let me have mine, and I will let you have yours; and neither of us will force a decision on the other.

“You may not like guns, and choose not to own one. That is your right. You might not believe in God. That is your choice. However, if someone breaks into your home the first two things you’re going to do are:
1) Call someone with a gun. 2) Pray they get there in time.”
Anonymous

A firearm is nothing but a tool to the criminal and a criminal will always find the tools they need to commit their crime. If you want to address crime you must get the criminal!

Fact:  NO Law, NO Dictate, NO Mandate, NO Legislation, NO Treaty, NO Act, NO Directive, NO Order HAS PREVENTED A CRIME!  How so?  Think Prohibition, it was an attempt to reduce/eliminate alcohol abuse, yet it didn’t.  In fact there was more ‘crime’ and abuse during Prohibition than before or after it!

In a perfect world, you wouldn't need guns. This is not a perfect world.
Ben Johnson
Sheriff  Volusia County, Florida, assumed office January 2, 2001; Re-elected in 2004 and  2008

The citizens of the United States are not immune to tyranny from our own government and never have been.  Our early and current history shows this to be a long running battle to stay free and independent, with a government ‘Of the people, by the people, for the people’.  

In the beginning there was the ‘shot heard round the world’ on April 19, 1775 at a bridge between Lexington and Concord where the British were out to confiscate colonial citizens of their firearms. 

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot heard round the world.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The American lust for the freedom of choice has been with us from the beginning.  This freedom is at the root of all of our freedoms and rights.  Take this one freedom away and you have destroyed all the rest. 

Bottom Line:  This is not about politics, Dems or Reps UN treaties, or even Crime Control - this is about the Republic of the United States of America, its Constitution and Bill of Rights – It’s about the Freedom of Choice – Period!

Owning a firearm or not is my choice and my responsibility – not the governments.  So leave my 2nd Amendment alone and live your life by your choice so I can live my life by my choice.

FACT:  If you want to reduce crime, put and keep the criminals in prison!

To get more information on U.S. 'gun control' history and a list of current bills and UN treaties read on @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/100766842/Flies-Create-Garbage-the-Same-as-Guns-Create-Crime 

TNT

Now they’re tryin’ to take my guns away
And that would be just fine
If you take ‘em away from the criminals first
I’d gladly give you mine
Charlie Daniels Band, A Few More Rednecks

 Test your knowledge on where you can and can't carry concealed weapons in the United States and other facts about guns.

- Scott Armstrong, Christian Science Monitor Staff writer at http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0313/Gun-laws-How-much-do-you-know/Gun-paper

1. How many people in the US have permits to carry concealed handguns?

1 million
6 million
50 million
100 million

2. How many states have laws that require authorities to issue concealed weapons permits to anyone who meets the proper qualifications?

10
25
40  
42

3. What state recently passed a law allowing permit holders to carry concealed weapons into the State House?

Texas
New Hampshire
Nevada
Georgia

4. What state recently voted to allow people who take an extra gun safety class to carry concealed weapons on college campuses and in courthouses?

Mississippi
Vermont
Georgia
Montana

5. North Carolina recently passed a law that allows permit holders to carry concealed weapons in:

Public high schools
Restaurants
Town parks  
Municipal government buildings

6. A federal ban an assault weapons was:

Never passed
Passed in 1994, but expired in 2004  
Passed in 1994 and remains in effect today
Passed in 1998, but expired in 2008

7. What US Supreme Court ruling in 2010 buttressed the rights of gun owners?

McDonalds v. Wendy's
McDonalds v. Remington
McDonald v. Chicago  
George v. Thomas

8. What US president signed legislation allowing people to carry concealed guns in national parks for the first time?

Richard Nixon
George H.W. Bush
George W. Bush
Barack Obama  

9. The one state that prohibits private citizens from carrying handguns in public is:

Massachusetts
Illinois  
Colorada
California

10. One big ammunition manufacturer is selling a line of shotgun shells and rifle cartridges that play off a popular cultural reference. What is the line called?

Max Hedroom
Mad Max
Zombie Max  
Maximus

How much do you know about the Second Amendment?   After decades of inactivity, the US Supreme Court in 2008 began a major reexamination of the scope of the right to keep and bear arms, an issue that has long ignited passionate debate and prompted powerful political lobbying. How well do you understand this constitutional evolution? Take our quiz to test your knowledge.  http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/1104/Second-Amendment-Quiz/Topic-of-Second-Amendment

A Tyrant's Worst Nightmare: A Citizen with a Gun  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7O98q6wBvs


"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
Samuel Adams

Facts of Life & Preparedness

We humans tend to get easily side-tracked from what we ‘plan’ to do.  There are many factors that contribute to this from mass marketing and advertising, to rationalizing, just plain old excuse making and ‘life’ in general.  Yet one factor that often affects how well we stick to any plan is the most basic and simple of them all – We forget about what a human body needs to survive. Or more simply we ignore the vary basics that a human body needs, the bottom line.  Even ‘experts’ like Maslow, have identified this simple fact of life.

What happens to too many of us when we ask ourselves this basic question is we get all hung up on the touchy-feely side of things that mostly concern our mental and spiritual health or our ‘feel good’ mentality. 

Yes, these things are important and in my book, very important!  However the bottom line is that without our human body we are dead, pure and simple and if we are dead we cannot even begin to address these other factors, yet alone the more frivolous wants and desires.

•    Without oxygen rich air to breath we perish in about 4 minutes.
•    Without water to hydrate our bodies we expire in about 4 days.
•    Without nutritional food we die in about 4 weeks.
•    Without protection from the elements we can die between hours, to up to 4 weeks.

So any good preparedness plan will need to put the bulk of our time, energy and monies towards these four needs above addressing anything else.  The next bulk of time, energy and monies should be put to our psychological and spiritual needs.  Lastly, if at all, we go after our wants and desires.

Now many people will stick Medical and Dental needs immediately after our physical needs and then go on to the psychological and spiritual needs.  Whatever meets YOUR specific overall requirements on this subject should be your rule of thumb.  Nothing is set in stone here.

Funny, but this simple prioritizing rule is fantastic for just about all our other aspects of life, preparedness or not.  After all we are not some government that can just print the monies we need and grab laborers off the street to do the work, nor do we have some magic wand to create more than 24 hours in a day.  We only have ourselves, our families and maybe a few close neighbors and friends – and you can bet your last dollar that most of them will not act as a bank or laborer for us!

So how exactly does this apply to preparedness? 

Read on to find out!

Above all remember that life contains all kinds of tangible and un-tangible aspects, some are necessary, most are not and all require a thought process that identifies and prioritizes them.

TNT

"Emergency preparedness is a team sport.“
Eric Whitaker

July 4 - Independence Day

As we get ready to have our picnics, BBQ’s, parties and fireworks we should also take the time to reflect back to July 4, 1776.  We were not a country yet, we were just 13 British Colonies under the strict rule of King George III.

The American Colonists were a proud and independent lot, who had carved out towns, farms and businesses in this ‘new land’ with the freedom to worship as chose (or chose not to), without any interference from the Crown.

Meanwhile, the British Empire was looking to collect goods and funds from all of its colonies to finance its own goals, no matter what the cost to any of its subjects.

Here in the American Colonies, we choose to stand against this onslaught of self-serving rules, regulations, taxes, fines and fees … A few brave souls organized against the Crown and what was the largest and strongest military of the time.

These people had stiff competition, as some colonists did not wish to be independent of the Crown and were willing to slave away to keep all of the Crown’s so-called ‘perks’.  The American colonists knew that if they declared their independence that they would be charged with treason and put to death as traitors.

Yet they met and did so anyway and because of that we are here today as the Republic of the United States of American.  Comprised of independent, sovereign states with the freedom and liberties to worship, make money, speak, read and just plain live (pursuit of happiness) as we please without fear.

So on this July 4, instead of just stuffing our faces and sloshing drink, let’s thank these brave and persistent souls for our country, with its freedoms and liberties.  For without them, we would be nothing.

As you review the Declaration of Independence below, remember that the authors of our most sacred documents (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights) wrote these documents NOT for the lawyers, solicitors, politicians or educated few, but for the common people of the masses.

To read the Declaration of Independence and the American's Creed follow this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/99038379/July-4-Independence-Day

Also see: Can You Pass the US Nationalization Test-History of US Citizanship & Nationalization http://www.scribd.com/doc/98913598/Can-You-Pass-the-US-Nationalization-Test-History-of-US-Citizanship-Nationalization

TNT