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ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any
other
form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no
one is
guaranteeing anything.



ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is
based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just y ou! You
may
leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the
world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.



ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a
screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool
manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.



ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans
are
the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need,
but
we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of
professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of
another generation of professional couch potatoes.



ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be
nice,
but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public
health
care.



ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If
you
kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the
rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.



ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you
rob,
cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be
surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where
you
still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.



ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to
have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you
to
take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training
laid
before you to make yourself useful.



ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means
that
you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if
you
are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of
you
who were confused by the Bill of Rights.



ARTICLE X: You do not have the right to change our country's history or
heritage. This country was founded on the belief in God. And yet, you are
given the
freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no
fear of persecution.
The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you
are
uncomfortable with it perhaps you should go live in a God-forsaken country.

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Originally posted by ireland:

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ddp account is still open

Nickname: ddp Joined: 15 Oct 2004 User level: Moderator One liner: "Teach & Learn"
http://my.afterdawn.com/ddp/

edit spelling

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The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, and read:

Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of the national finances.

One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.

You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.

This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.

To you first I address a subject that must be agitated.

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"E Pluribus Unum" was one of the first mottos adopted by the United States government. Along with Annuit Coeptis and Novus Ordo Seclorum, E Pluribus Unum was adopted to appear on the Great Seal of the United States in 1782.

Translated from Latin, it means "One from Many" or "One out of many": 'E' = out of, from; pluribus = many; unum = one).

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The ghost of ddp is haunting our halls...

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/498474
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/497620
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/498934
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/497354

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Originally posted by Ripper:

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[Spam]
Listen to me
[/Spam]

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Originally posted by garmoon:

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And they were four of my favorite threads, LOCO. What will I do; oh woe is I.

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Originally posted by Auslander:

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the god thing is not 100% accurate, ireland, but i do agree with most of that.

*edit*
quoting from a member on anohter forum:
"The idea that the United States of America is a Christian nation is 100% wrong.

Taken from:
http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm

The following sentence appears in the text of the Treaty of Tripoli, an official United States document:
"...the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion..."

Quoting the same page:
"The Senate approved the treaty on June 7, 1797, and officially ratified by the Senate with John Adams signature on 10 June, 1797. "
"So here we have a clear admission by the United States in 1797 that our government did not found itself upon Christianity."
"Although the Treaty of Tripoli under agreement only lasted a few years and no longer has legal status, it clearly represented the feelings of our Founding Fathers at the beginning of the American government."


About "In God We Trust:"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_we_trust
"In God We Trust" was adopted as the United States motto in 1956, when the country was already 180 years old. It was passed and signed then only because of the McCarthy era's knee jerk oppositions to Communism, which was officially atheist."

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