THE CHATTER BOX

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Re: Happy July 4th. by intrepid on 4 July 2006 5:24pm

I was in Olomouc, the Czech Rep. on Sat, and you run into memories of Layfayette there. He was imprisoned there for being his freedom loving self.
I'm rusty on this so maybe somebody can help me out. Lafayette, for no reason other than he believed in independence for the U.S., volunteered his time, fortune and talents to George Washington's army and helped popularize the cause in Europe in general and in France, in particular. In 1777, he outfitted a boat with some friends and sailed to the U.S. He went to where Congress was meeting and said, essentially "Got any use for a French captain? Don't worry about paying me." George Washington liked him and put him to use in the field where he distinguished himself in some important battles. He went back to France to pursuade the French government to send French forces to help the Americans. With the help of the French fleet and soldiers, Washington's army (of which Lafayette was part) trapped the main British army on the coast of Virginia forcing their surrender and, in effect, ending the war.

Re: Happy July 4th. by canaveralgumby on 4 July 2006 6:08pm

I don't know if there is a specific date on which you could say we "won" our independence, or won the Revolutionary War. Military historians would debate that. But on July 4, 1776, the Continental (American) Congress ratified and signed the Declaration of Independence, and DECLARED our independence from Britain.

And so we set off fireworks. It makes as much sense as the egg-laying bunny for Easter, but there you go!

So, if 1776 was the year we consider ourselves to be independent, then this country is 240 years old.

"We're 240, we're NOT OLD!"

Re: Happy July 4th. by Cécile43 on 4 July 2006 6:08pm

I know that...but it's the official version...I read a book about his wife, Adrienne de Noailles, and the author writes about a shy and red-hair man who want to prove he is able to do something important...
Surely he helps George Washington's army, and the Independance in America, but he protects louis XVI in France... During the Revolution of 1789, he was the chief of the "royal militia" and had authorized to open fire on people in paris, where's the love of freedom here??

Re: Happy July 4th. by Cécile43 on 4 July 2006 6:23pm

Anyway, each man has his good and bad side...Nothing is all Black or all white...
:-/

Re: Happy July 4th. by intrepid on 4 July 2006 6:30pm

How do you reckon 240, canaveralgumby? Are you trying to get a jump on the Sesquibicentennial and celebrate it 10 years early? (Sorry.)

Cecile43, I'm afraid that the official record is the only one I know! The love of freedom- and you'd know more about him than I- is in Lafayette's interest in abolishing slavery, serving as a representative of the people in the Constituent Assembly and opposing Napoleon's consolidation of power.
As you rightly say, there's more to Lafayette than the official history, which does NOT end in 1781.

Re: Happy July 4th. by peripatetically on 4 July 2006 7:03pm

I stick with 230 candles on the cake. Unless you ahve 10 "to grow on" as they say.... lol.

Re: Happy July 4th. by Cécile43 on 4 July 2006 7:20pm

Yes, he was a nice guy! ;) but History is always controversial...
Even I'm proud that Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Motier (nice name!)
was born near my village, in Chavaniac, which today is called "Chavaniac Lafayette"...

A nice sentence of Lafayette, for those who understand french:
"Je ne vous dirai pas si je suis Gaulois ou Franc. J'espère être Gaulois, parce que très peu de Francs s'établirent dans les montagnes d'Auvergne.
J'aime mieux Vercingétorix défendant ses montagnes que le brigand Clovis et ses abominables successeurs"
A méditer...

Cécile

Re: Happy July 4th. by sighthound on 4 July 2006 7:45pm

Merci, Cecile.

Obviously there is a lot I don't know about Lafayette - must read up on him.

P.S. Does anyone know how to get accent marks on an American keyboard? I had a list once....

Re: Happy July 4th. by tucsonmike on 4 July 2006 8:27pm

Lafayette is a genuine hero for the United States. No two ways about it.

Thank you for the good wishes. Now I am going to celebrate it by watching the World Cup LOL!

Cecile that is cool that you live near him.

I meant to answer two other questions.
Sight, you need to go into Tools or View and find Fonts. That is where you find the lists for different keyboards. I know it is like that in Word.

Intrepid, I was a Freshman in college in 1976. I remember the fireworks that night and great promise. Some we have lived up to as a nation etc. It followed the malaise of the end of Vietnam.

Re: Happy July 4th. by peripatetically on 5 July 2006 12:20am

That system doesn't work for Apple prducts, Mike. Yes, in Word it does, but I am stumped in the chatterbox.

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