Have I ever talked about how much I absolutely loooove watching movies? I really don’t think there’s a better way to relax for a couple hours (with your eyes open) than to sit and watch a really good movie. I’ve seen a lot of them, all different kinds, cause I like just about anything. I also think watching a movie can be very therapeutic to a mood we might be having. Movies have lots of ups and downs and twists, maybe some puzzling plot points to make you think a little bit, we laugh and cry, and we revel at the breakthrough advances being made with visual effects. Heck, sometimes the dialogue and plot of a movie don’t need to be any good at all, so long as the special effects and graphics are awesome!

Emotion is a word I use a lot when talking about movies, because all the senses are stimulated when watching a good movie with a good story. And timing is no mistake, usually, when we see movies at the theatre, or on TV. Christmas movies will (normally) be shown around… you guessed it… Christmas, and other holiday movies shown near their respective calendrical tribute. War movies… now there’s a really big genre. Not just movies about wars, but movies about Military branches, or having something to do with US history, military history, or inner workings of armed forces… now that’s a list that can go on for days and days. I saw a couple movies on TV recently, and I realized that seeing them at this time of year was not necessarily a random accident. These military stories are being shown to coincide with Veteran’s Day, which is coming up in just a little over a week (November 11). I’ve only seen a few of these military movies in the last week or so, it’s not like seeing A Christmas Story for 24 straight hours on Christmas or anything, but the few I saw were very influential on me. And, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m gonna tell you why… here we go…

The Laste Caste

The first film I saw about a week ago was The Last Castle with Robert Redford. This isn’t a war movie or anything inspired by a real life event. In actuality it shows a side of the armed forces you don’t often see or think about, as the story takes place in a military prison. Okay, major downer. I know, right… where am I going with this… I was all pumping you up about great war movies and now i’m talking about jail! I’m not gonna rehash the whole plot, but I did want to tell you about a part of the movie that deals with our American Flag. A pretty big part of the movie’s plot involves the flag. Long story short: the warden of the jail has an American Flag in a decorative case, and the flag is stolen by a prisoner (Robert Redford!!!) who’s intention is to fly it upside down in the exercise yard. As you are full aware, I am a stickler for the rules, so I must tell you that you should never do that, because flying our colors upside down has particular meaning, and that is as a signal of distress. It’s in the US Flag Code:

“The flag should never be displayed with the union [blue and white star field] down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.”

So, it’s not that doing it would be wrong, because there may be a time that calls for the American Flag to be flown upside down, but it would see viewed as disrespectful and most inappropriate for any other reason. Anyway, because I talk often about history, and many times about our colors, I thought this movie was an interesting one to tell you about. Now, I didn’t give the whole thing away. In fact I hardly told you anything about it. So, if you’re curious, I can confidently endorse this movie as entertaining, and recommend you see it.

Saving Private Ryan

Okay, this next movie was very, VERY moving for me. I cried lots and lots, and then I started thinking lots and lots, and I was like, wait a minute, I feel like heard this one before. So… I watched Saving Private Ryan with Tom Hanks and Matt Damon. Tom Hanks, by the way, I also a HUUUUUGE history buff, and he’s responsible for the Band of Brothers miniseries. That’s another war genre story. Not gonna talk about it now, but you should see that, too! The movie is set around the June 6, 1944 Normandy Invasion by Allied Forces during World War II, and there is no mistaking the emotions felt by viewers that this movie intended to summon. The film opens with an old man and his family who are visiting the grave site of a soldier. The cemetery in the film is an actual site and is rather significant to memorials. I’ll tell you more about it in a few minutes. Anyway, from here, the story flashes back to June 6, 1944: Omaha Beach. Gunfire and explosions surround us as Allied Forces are landing on troop carriers from the sea. For the first 20 minutes it looks as if we’re watching actual war documentary footage of a raging, bloody battle that immediately sets the tone and mood for the remainder of the film. As the story develops, we learn that three brothers fighting in WWII have all died within days of each other, and their mother is about to be visited by the Army to receive the news. What’s more, their is a fourth brother, Private James Ryan, who is serving in Normandy, and supposedly MIA. The Army springs in to action and dispatches a company, led by Tom Hanks’ character (Captain Miller) with orders to find Private Ryan (Matt Damon) and deliver him safely. This is a most emotional film, and while it is a work of fiction set against historical events, there are hints of truth to the plot. There were several instances of brothers losing their lives in active duty while in the service of their county. Saving Private Ryan is said to loosely parallel the story of the The Niland Brothers. The Niland’s were four American brothers from Tonawanda, NY (a suburb between Buffalo and Niagara Falls), who all served during WWII. Of the four, two survived the war, but there was time it was believed that only had survived. It was later discovered that a second surviving Niland brother was held captive in a Japanese POW cam in Burma.

USS The Sullivans

You may find this immensely ironic, but there is in fact another equally dynamic parallel to Saving Private Ryan. The irony is that it also has ties to the Buffalo, NY region. In Buffalo, at the foot of the Erie Canal Harbor, is a small Naval Park, complete with a museum of ships, military vehicles, and a veterans memorial honoring soldiers from the region. The significance to Saving Private Ryan is one of the sea vessels in the museum; a destroyer class Navy ship named, The Sullivans. The USS The Sullivans was named in honor of the five brothers who lost their lives when their ship, the USS Juneau, was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942. Unlike Saving Private Ryan, or the real-life story of the Niland brothers, none of the Sullivan brothers survived. This was the greatest military loss by any one American family during WWII. One summer, once upon a time, My family took a vacation up north to see Niagara Falls. We had to pass through Buffalo, NY, and while driving on the highway I could see the ships in the water. I begged my dad to stop the car so we could see the Naval Park. As part of a tour, me and my family walked on-board the USS The Sullivans, and heard the amazing, and tragic, story of the Sullivan brothers.

The Navy had a policy of separating siblings, but this was not strictly enforced. Because the Sullivan’s were not drafted, but instead voluntarily enlisted for service in the Navy, the five brothers from Iowa stipulated that they serve together, and all five were assigned to the USS Juneau. Nine months after their assignment to the USS Juneau, it was sunk by the Japanese during the Battle of Guadalcanal. We learned during our tour that Destroyers are named for naval heroes and leaders, and that the name of this ship, “The Sullivans,” had historically caused confusion cause the Navy doesn’t use the “the” in front of ship names. In this particular instance “the” is part of the ship’s name, signifying more than person. The USS The Sullivans that we toured in the Buffalo Naval Park was put in to service in 1944 toward the end of WWII, and was decommissioned in 1965. However, the name of the ship and the memory of the Sullivan brothers lives on… in 1997 the Navy commissioned a new destroyer, DDG-68, and named her USS The Sullivans. To wrap up the story on the Sullivan brothers, the United States War Department sprung in to action with the future intent to prevent any family from suffering a similar catastrophic loss by enacting the Sole Survivor Policy: a set of regulations designed to protect members of a family if they have already lost family members in military service. While I said “wrap up,” there’s a whole lot more you could know about the Sullivan’s, including a museum wing in Waterloo, Iowa dedicated to the fallen heroes. If you’re interested in this gripping story, just do a Google search! You’ll find all kinds of info.

View of the Cemetery from Memorial

Earlier, when I was getting in to the plot about Saving Private Ryan, I mentioned a military cemetery. The cemetery in the opening scene of the movie is The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, and it is a WWII cemetery honoring American soldiers who died in while serving in Europe. What’s important about this site is that it was the first American WWII cemetery established on European soil. Remembered at The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial are 9,387 American soldiers, and over 300 unknown. While many are buried here, the bodies of 1,557 Americans who served and lost their lives could not be located. The names of those who could not be returned are inscribed on the walls of a semicircular garden memorial.

I think it is most important that, while we prepare to observe Veterans Day this November 11th, when we take a moment to reflect on all of the men and women, both of whom are here today, and especially those no longer with us. For those who fought for our freedom and way of life, we take a moment to recognize those soldiers who are memorialized abroad, while with us in our hearts and spirits, are not with us on our home soil, the land for which they fought. It is this exact reason I delved in to the “Private Ryan” story, and capped it here with The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. What’s more, while this memorial was the first American cemetery in Europe, it is not the only cemetery and memorial on foreign soil. Take some time to remember these courageous men and women in the coming days. Also, take a moment to reflect on our memorials here at home, both our highly visible national memorials in Washington, D.C., and those on the local level that you may have in your hometown.

Until next time,
Lexi

Yesterday we received a Virtual Wall of Honor submission for a brave soldier by the name of Robert B. Burger. We thought you would enjoy the story about the American Flag he found flew over Germany as well as the great photographs from part of his history.

Robert B. Burger Sr. was a Sgt. in the U.S. Army, serving in Europe during WWII. Dad’s company took over a town in Germany. Having no flag to display, Sgt. Bobby Burger found a tattered one in a garbage can, used adhesive tape to bind the ’stars’ end, and boot straps to secure it to the flagpole rope. The ’stars’ end of the flag was so tattered that only 42 stars are actually displayed – I still have the flag framed and proudly display it in my office. I enjoy telling the story of how this flag came to ‘fly’ over this small German town. Although he would not talk about the war, he was very proud of his service. My Dad’s only brother was a POW in Japan. Dad died in 1994.

Submitted by his son, Robert B. Burger Jr.

Tagged: american flag, army soldier, robert burger, robert burger military, soldier american flag, tattered american flag, us army ]]> http://blog.carrot-top.com/2009/11/05/soldiers-american-flag-story/feed/ 1 Lexi the Vexillologist robert_b_Burger http://blog.carrot-top.com/2009/11/02/veterans-memorials/ http://blog.carrot-top.com/2009/11/02/veterans-memorials/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:21:44 +0000 Lexi the Vexillologist http://blog.carrot-top.com/?p=721 ]]>

Veteran’s Day is coming up around the corner, and one thing that’s always dear to me is our Military service men and women. After living smack dab next to Fort Bragg, one thing I grew a deeper appreciation for is our members of our Military, past and present. And having a grandfather who I honored on our Virtual Wall of Honor (Robert Miller), as well as an uncle, who both served in different conflicts, I grew a deeper appreciation for Veterans. As many people prepare for Veteran’s Day this year with flag flying, parades, etc., I wanted to do a little research on some Veteran’s Memorials because I never fully knew their history other than an image and a name.

Tomb of the Unknowns

Tomb of the Unknowns (Arlington National Cemetery): The Tomb of the Unknowns, which is also frequently referred to as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is a monument created by soldier turned architect named Lorimer Rich in 1921 that is dedicated to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who died while serving but who’s remains were never identified. The display of the tomb itself holds specific meanings, where the World War I unknown is below the large marble monument, holding the remains of a recipient of the Medal of Honor, as well as many of the highest  service awards available. Next to the WWI Unknown are white marble slabs on the ground, marking the crypts of the Unknown from World War II, Korea, and at one point Vietnam (in 1998 the remains of First Lieutenant Michael Blassie were identified from the Vietnam tomb.)

Since 1937, The Tomb of the Unknowns is guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by what’s known as a Tomb Guard, a special group within the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. In the Summertime the guard is changed every 30 minutes while during the Winter the guard changing takes place every hour. Even when Arlington Cemetery closes for the day, the guard still remains in place but is changed every two hours until the cemetery reopens the next day. If you’re ever in Washington D.C., the changing of the guard is truly an honor to see and I recommend taking the time to pay tribute to the fallen who gave you the right to stand there and witness it.

Vietnam Womens Memorial

Vietnam Women’s Memorial (Washington D.C.): I love this memorial, but that’s probably because I love to see that Women during the Vietnam War, served proudly and were recognized for their bravery and duties during that period of time. The Vietnam Women’s Memorial honors the women who served during the Vietnam War. Glenna Goodacre, a Texas born sculptor, designed the Memorial and dedicated it in 1993 for the women of the Vietnam War. The Memorial shows 3 women in uniform tending to a wounded soldier in memory of the large numbers of women nurses that served.  There is also a replica of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on display at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park in New Mexico, which was the first large scale Vietnam Memorial in the United States and remains the only state park in the United States dedicated solely to Vietnam Veterans.

Marine Corps War Memorial

Marine Corps War Memorial (Arlington, Virginia): This Marine Corps War Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial,  represents all members of the United States Marine Corps who have died in conflict since 1775, serving as a reminder of the sacrifice they gave for our Country. Sculptor Felix de Weldon, a Austrian born sculptor who became an American Citizen in 1945, designed the cast bronze memorial based on one of the most iconic photographs of Military history, the Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima. If you’ve never seen the original photograph before, it is truly an amazing shot in time that will bring out the emotion of the soldiers holding the flag.

One fact that I did learn that I thought was neat was that the location and date of every Major Marine Corps engagement up to this very day is inscribed into the base of the Memorial, honoring all of those who have served, not only our past Veterans. In November of 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the memorial in honor of the 179th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. During his time in office, President John F. Kennedy issued a proclamation that the American Flag would fly on the top of the memorial 24 hours a day, which is very uncommon for traditional U.S. Flag flying regulations.

Statue at the Memorial

Korean War Veterans Memorial (Washington D.C.): On Flag day in 1992 the groundbreaking took place for one of the most intricate war Memorials I’ve ever seen, the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  Constructed of solid granite, the memorial features more than 2,500 photographic images sandblasted into the wall depicting soldiers, supporters and the land the conflict took place on. Centered within the wall of the memorial are nineteen statues standing tall at over 7′ each  constructed of stainless steel representing troops on patrol from each branch of the Armed Services.  If you’ve never seen this Memorial in person, it is overpowering and truly gives the sense of the conflict and the bravery that took place during it. It is unmistakenly an amazing masterpiece of great honor.

It wasn’t until 1995 that President Bill Clinton and the President of the Republic of Korea dedicated the memorial to the brave men and women who served in the Korean War conflict. But each member of the United Nations that contributed to the Korean War effort is listed on the United Nations Wall to the North of the grand statues, signifying an honor of not only our troops, but those who also made sacrifices.

World War II Memorial

National WWII Memorial (Washington D.C.): Located right in the National Mall in our Nations capital, is 56 pillars and a set of arches surrounding a beautiful plaza adorned by a gleaming fountain in honor of the 16 million soldiers who served in WWII, the supporters of the conflict from home as well as the 400,000+ individuals who lost their lives.  This great monument is known as the National WWII Memorial. The Memorial is in the shape of two semi-circles curving around the fountain and standing between the two sets of pillars is the  Freedom Wall, which features 4,048 gold dimensional stars around a curve, each of which is representing 100 American soldiers who died in the war.

This memorial is fairly new to Washington D.C., opening to the public only a few years ago in 2004. President Bill Clinton signed the law authorizing to have the memorial built, but it was President George W. Bush who dedicated it a few days before Memorial Day. It’s amazing in its size, though it has received some criticism of its architecture and location. I was lucky enough to witness the beauty of this memorial a few years ago, and though it is large in it’s size with its pillars, it is still beautiful in all ways. All together it holds on true meaning, which is to honor those who took part in world War II.

More Veteran Memorials: I could go on forever about about Veteran Memorials. There’s so many of them around this great Nation, but only so much space to talk about them. Of course one of the most recognized memorial is the Vietnam War Memorial. I chose not to fully write about the Vietnam Memorial because there is so much information and visuals available already, that it would have been it’s own blog posting! But I do want to give some links to some other memorials, some that you may have heard of and some that are new to you.

• United States Navy Memorial – Dedicated in 1987, this memorial is located in Washington D.C. and honors the brave men and women who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard as well as the Merchant Marine.
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial – This iconic war memorial honors the brave soldiers who fought in one of the most controversial wars of our time, the Vietnam War,  and who are fallen or unaccounted for. It lists the names of over 58,000 soldiers.
• African American Civil War Memorial – Located in Washington D.C., the African American Civil War Memorial honors over 200,000 soldiers and sailors who fought during the American Civil War cast in bronze.
• Spirit of the American Doughboy – Sometimes nicknamed Iron Mike, the Doughboy sculpture is widely recognized and honors the veterans of World War I.
• Liberty Memorial – This grand memorial houses the national World War I Museum in Kansas city, Missouri

This Veteran’s Day, fly your American flags proudly, thank a Veteran if you know one, and remember the great sacrifices that these memorials were built for. And as always, we’d love to honor the brave soldiers of the past and present on our Virtual Wall of Honor. It may not have all the flashy bells and whistles of a grand monument, but it’s our way of saying Thank You to those who deserve it.

Nicki Snyder
Creative Director

After the feedback from the Top 10 military movies blog; I thought what other fun things could we rank…the National Anthem! Words that we hear at almost every sporting event, but how close do you listen? The words are inspirational and have amazing staying power to past the test of time. I have been told it is one of the most difficult songs to sing, but I think these people did it the best.

1. Marvin Gaye – How do you take an iconic song, respect it yet place your own touch on it? You let Marvin Gaye sing it! The soft beat and smooth voice are perfection in my opinion. 1983 NBA All-Star game, do you remember anything else about this game – no.

2. Jimi Hendrix – He does not sing the Star Spangled Banner, but this is probably the most well known rendition in American today. Understanding some of the underlining symbolism may turn some off, but from an artistic standpoint – wow.

3. Whitney Houston – During the 1991 Superbowl, one of the high points for patriotism during the Gulf War, aside from a chilling version of the National Anthem by Houston, notice the number of American Flags and patriotic signs in the crowd.

4. Brian McKnight – MLB All-Star game. Classic Brian McKnight – light and flawless.

5. Christina Aguilera – Does anyone have stronger vocals than her? Simple and crisp. She has performed the National Anthem several times, but I think this is her best performance at the 2005 NHL Penguins/Bruins game.

6. Beyonce – Pretty good, not what I expectd from her, but still top 10 material.

7. Jennifer Hudson – 2009 Superbowl. After a personal tragedy, Hudson with a heart full of emotion lets out a strong performance.

8. Josh Groban – One of the best pure voices alive. Strong, fluent World Series take.

9. Carrie Underwood – Nice, clean performance. Does not give me the goose bumps like others do. I really like her voice I would venture to guess she will climb the charts with future showings.

10. 7 year old boy – I could not identify the name of the child. I have a 9 year old who does not have all the words down. This is a 7 year old hitting it – cute to watch his nervous movements, but he still hits it.

I am sure I missed some great performances and you will not totally agree with my Top 10. Please let me know your top 10…

Steve A. Cates

Nobody knows more about FLAGS than we do.

With the global economy in disarray and many American companies closing or filing bankruptcy, this year has posed unique challenges for Carrot-Top Industries as it did for most American businesses. I personally am proud of our team, from the newest employee to our 25+ year veterans, from front line employees to upper management for coming together as a team and laying the foundation for what appears to be years of rapid growth. We have been very fortunate to not only survive, but gain significant market share this year by offering only top quality products starting with our Beacon and Patriarch US flags all the way down to the Waterhog entrance mats. Combine our carefully designed or selected products from our merchandising department with our industry leading customer care poised with product information, white glove service and attention to detail. From customer care to distribution where our warehouse team has handled more orders and shipping options to make sure our vast inventory is shipped quickly and accurately to you the customer.

In additional to designing our catalogs and web sites our expert graphic artist are available directly to our customers to make sure your custom orders are exactly what you need for your application. Not to be left out is our finance team who carefully works with our customers to offer credit terms and unmatched supplier payment. In 2009 after initial testing we were fortunate to launch two new companies Industry Basics and Mats Unlimited to support our customers growing needs.

This may seem like a shameless marketing push, but it is a heartfelt public THANK YOU to our team for their efforts this year.

Wanda R.                                                          Melissa

Torina                                                                Jennifer

Krista                                                                 Brandy

Milly                                                                   Zandy

Niesha                                                               Sanchez

Kelly                                                                  Joe

Matt V.                                                             Wanda B.

Christina                                                         Kim

Pat                                                                     Tiffany

Chrissy                                                             Matt G.

Liz                                                                     Nicki

Jenni                                                                Eric

Melvin                                                              Molly

Izzy                                                                   Charles

Tamer Katie

Dwight

Thank you all for allowing me to be apart of this great team!

Steve A. Cates

City of Belton Flag in Iraq

“You did a City flag for us back in July. We wanted a flag to send to Iraq with our adopted Army unit from nearby Ft. Hood. Thought you might want to see how good the flag looks flying over Iraq! …Thanks for all your help.”

Video of Military information and flags flying (flags are shown flying at the end of the video)

Submitted by: Cristy Daniell, City of Belton www.ci.belton.tx.us

Carrot-Top Industries 30th Anniversary Logo, new for 2010.

Here at Carrot-Top Industries we are gearing up for 2010. Not only are we excited about the recession coming to an end, we are also ready to Celebrate our 30th Anniversary. There has never been a better time to buy American made products, especially when it comes to US flags! Nobody knows this better than Carrot-Top Industries, we have been supplying American Made flags to businesses and government since 1980. In honor of 30th Anniversary we are unveiling our new for 2010 logo.

Our customer service is considered the best in the industry, so we want your feed back. Tell us how long you’ve been a customer with us, rate our products, give us feed back on our new logo or simply wish us a Happy Anniversary.

We would like to thank our customers, some of you have been with us from the beginning and it’s because of our customers that we have reached this milestone. We are looking forward to meeting your patriotic needs for many years to come and wish you the best in 2010!

Our tag line reads true, now more than ever…
Nobody knows more about flags than we do!

Gadsden Flag

Ah, the irony. This past weekend the NFL took the show on the road to play a game in London between the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the game was being played it made me remember my last blog about the Boston Tea Party, the players involved in that event, and how the teams and the venue of this past weekend’s game made almost parallel connections to 1773: the people of Boston (New England Patriots), the British (British people live in London), and the crew of the tea vessels (or those swabby Buccaneers). Yeah, it’s a stretch, but kind of funny in an ironic way.

So anyway, last week I told you about the real Boston Tea Party. I had thought about it because of another bumper sticker I saw, though the sticker didn’t have anything to do with Boston per say. The sticker represented the Gadsden Flag with it’s signature saying “Don’t Tread On Me” and it’s bright yellow signature color. The Gadsden flag has been seen flying proudly at a lot of the recent Tea Party protests because of it’s historical significance in American History. This sticker though, was referencing coordinated protest events happening around the country that have used the term “Tea Party” to promote themselves. It’s a coordinated effort of people who have used mostly the internet and social networking in order to pool resources and execute their events around the country.

I don’t pretend to be any kind of political expert, but I do fancy myself an observer of many worldly events. I also like out of this world stuff, too, but that doesn’t mean I’m a rocket scientist. So, before we get in to anything, just lemme tell ya that I’m only blogging today about “stuff,” and not politics or agenda. That said, here is what today’s Tea Party Protests are all about…

We’ve all heard about stimulus packages, tax increases, and debt. People around the country who are against all of these things are part of a grassroots group who are against the U.S. government’s recovery plan, and they gather to speak out against what they’re calling “wasteful government spending and unnecessary government growth.” The correlation between the phrase “Tea Party” comes down to their message that the American people have been ‘T’axed ‘E’nough ‘A’lready, or ‘TEA’ for short.

So far, three nationally organized Tea Party protest events have been held in the United States this year: April 15, 2009 was the first which was organized to accompany the deadline to file federal income returns. Another event was held during the weekend of the Fourth of July, and another on September 12, 2009. Details vary, but anywhere from nearly 270,000 to half a million protesters organized on tax day to protest their cause in about 200 cities. Other statistics say that protests were held in as many as 750 cities. Regardless or the actual numbers, it’s impressive to me that this effort to organize was done entirely over the internet through websites and social networking pages like Twitter, and Facebook.

Many issues by the attendees of the events have been raised during the various protests, but their message boils down to one goal which is to “reject government spending as a way out of the recession.” It’s not really a Democrat or Republican thing, either, because it’s been noted that Tea Party protesters have voiced their disappointment with both President Obama’s and President George W. Bush’s spending plans

Responses to the Tea Party protest are mixed, I guess it depends on which side of the issue they’re taking. Even the media presents things differently, so I would say that you have to be mindful and objective with regard to how you get your news. Just remember that whichever your side or view, we all stand together under the same flag, and with our feet firmly planted on the same soil that is the most wonderful place on Earth, The United States of America.

I don’t know if I’ve been living under a rock for the past couple months, or if I’ve just been too busy to notice some things going on around me. It must be the latter, because I don’t think living under a rock would be very cozy! Sometimes I might space out a little, and miss a few things that don’t exactly jump out at me. But seriously, this is a super busy time of year for me (and probably you, too), with the holidays coming, especially Halloween (one of my all-time faves!).

Anyway, back to why I was being kind of a space cadet: earlier this week I was taking a drive to the costume shop to pick up some supplies for my Halloween party this year. While stopped at a traffic signal I noticed a bumper sticker on the minivan stopped in front of me; the sticker said something like, Which way is it to the Tea Party? I have to admit that, right away, I didn’t know what it meant. The first thing that popped in to my head was, “it was in, like, Boston… Duh!” But after a little while I remembered that there’s been all kinds of political ballyhoo about taxes and all that good stuff that lots of people like to huff about… I recalled reading about organized protests, and that the groups are using a “tea party” slogan for the cause. Catchy I suppose, after all, the real Boston Tea Party had everything to do with taxes and representation.

If you know me, or if you at least read my little blog once in a while, you know that I looooove my US of A, and I’m a big history buff. So today’s chit chat (thanks to the catchy bumper sticker that caught my eye while I was having a “duh” moment) is all about the authentic Boston Tea Party of 1773.

Illustration of a Tea Plant

In the 1700’s, tea was the hot thing to drink. When I say ‘hot,’ I mean that it was the stylish beverage. And, well, it was also hot. Talk about your confusing homonyms! Anyway, everybody was loving their tea. Because taxes were so high smuggling was a worry to lawmakers, so Great Britain took a special step in making sure the colonies received their shipments of tea only from England. That way England could tax the supplier, then tax their buyers, and make a quick profit. Through a series of ‘deals’ with other exporting countries, tea was sold to Great Britain and, in turn, Great Britain sold that tea themselves to the colonies.

This little tax twist made the colonists none too happy, and here’s why: the British colonists argued it unconstitutional to be taxed because, according to the British Constitution, they couldn’t be taxed without consent from their elected people. It was Taxation Without Representation. In their case this referred to the representatives who they’d elected in the colonies. Since it was the British Parliament who slapped the taxes on the imports, and the colonists were not involved in electing members of British Parliament, the colonists said they shouldn’t be taxed by Great Britain. Their cries fell on deaf ears, and the taxes rained down anyway.

Taxes began to get heavy with the Townshend Revenue Act of 1767 (which levied tax and duty on lots of imported goods, not just tea). It was followed by protests and boycotts from the colonies. In 1770 Parliament lifted the Townshend Act (but kept the tea duty in place). Later in 1773 the Tea Act was introduced where England’s supplier, the East India Company, could cut out the middle-man (Great Britain in this instance) and sell tea directly to the colonies. This would now actually make tea cheaper for American colonists, but it was also right about this time when colonists just about had it up to here with the Brits. It came down to the ever long grievance of Taxation Without Representation.

The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor

Now, here’s where the Boston Harbor gets turned in to the biggest cup of Lipton Brisk y’all ever did see. In every colony except Massachusetts, protestors were able to force the tea consignees (the guys who took the tea from importing ships) to give in or to return the shipments to England without paying tax. It wasn’t going that way in Boston, however. When the Dartmouth, a ship carrying tea, arrived in the Boston Harbor in late November, 1773, Samuel Adams called a meeting to pass a resolution urging the captain of the ship to go back without paying the duty, and Massachusetts Governor (and British Loyalist) Thomas Hutchinson refused to let that happen. Two of Hutchinson’s sons were consignees working the shipment and saw to make a commission profit on the cargo. Meanwhile, two more ships carrying tea arrived in Boston Harbor.

Dumping the tea overboard

On December 16, the last day of the Dartmouth’s deadline to unload its cargo and head back to England, Governor Hutchinson still refused to allow the Dartmouth (and the other ships) to leave. That night a group of men disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the ships and dumped all the tea into the water. The Boston Tea Party was one of the many precursors that led to the American Revolutionary War. The event served to rally support for revolutionaries who would eventually prove successful in their fight for independence.

That, in an abridged nutshell, was the Boston Tea Party of 1773. As I stated a little bit ago, I love the United States of America, my country and sweet land of liberty, and I’m also a history buff. On the flipside of the coin, I don’t really like to get all huffy puffy political. I don’t think everything about government should deal in absolutes. Some sides are right about some things, and other sides have good points, too. You have to take the good, and then work with the not so good to make it better. But all’s I gotta say is that the current organized Tea Party protests happening around the country are not the same as what we know from historical events, so don’t get confused if you glance over a story in the newspaper.

I don’t know about you but I’ve had enough tea for today. It’s all a bunch of sour grapes. You know how the old saying goes… when life serves you lemons, make lemonade. I like that. Maybe I’ll put up stand at the end of my block. I promise not to tax you too much. LOL!

Tune in next week when I’ll be touching on the Tea Party signifigance going on right now in our current times.
Lexi

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

We’re nearing the midway point of October and, if you haven’t noticed by now, the planet is draped in pink. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and pink is the color worn by everyone who shows his or her support to rally for a cure. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women, and working toward finding a cure could save the lives of an estimated 190,000 women (and men) each year. Yes, I said men! While breast cancer is a disease that more commonly targets women, it does not discriminate by gender, and about one percent of men are at risk as well.

Showing your support to find a cure for breast cancer is simple, and you can take a cue from Hollywood stars, major sports stars, and probably any one of a number of people driving near you with a pink ribbon magnet stuck to their car! The first step is to get the facts. Breast cancer is the number-one cancer found in women, and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women (after lung cancer). About one in 13 women will suffer from breast cancer during their lives, and the fight against breast cancer begins with awareness. The more knowledge one can have about the disease, and the more done to check for early warning signs, the better chance for survival and overall wellness. The next step is to become educated about the risk factors of breast cancer. Anything and everything should be scrutinized, including age, personal and familial health histories, diet, and fitness. The following step is mammogram screening, and finally, if necessary, treatment options.

Medical advances in recent years in research, prevention, and the treatments of breast cancer have revolutionized the fight to save lives. We know so much more today than we ever before, including the revelation that researchers and doctors now recognize that breast cancer is in fact several diseases, and that the treatment of breast cancer is different for each person. Breakthroughs in surgical procedures have also become less traumatic on patients, and recovery time has also improved.

So, now I bet you’re asking yourself how you can help? Here’s how: wear pink! If a big NFL linebacker can look good in pink, you can, too! Making a donation to organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, or to any number of area hospitals or organizations is a great first step to get involved. Every dollar raised by these groups goes straight to research for a cure. After that, show off your support with pink. The universal symbol that you are supporting the cause is by wearing a pink ribbon. There are all kinds, too. There are magnets for cars in the shape of pink ribbons, lapel pins, and well of course, a ribbon! I’ll be wearing pink every day I can, if not in my wardrobe, then at least a pink ribbon lapel pin to symbolize I am in support for a cure. And I actually keep a pink ribbon magnet on my car year round… while October is breast cancer awareness month, breast cancer doesn’t wait around. Showing your support day in and day out will help the cause by injecting awareness throughout the community. Everyone needs to know about how they can get involved to find a cure.

I hope what I’ve shared today has inspired you to become involved. Of course, while I gave out a lot of information, there is a lot more that you need to know to be fully informed. To get more educated, get on the Internet and start reading. To get you started I’ve included a few informative website links:

http://www.breastcancer.org

http://nbcam.org/index.cfm

http://ww5.komen.org/

Thanks for reading about this very, very important issue. And remember, while October is awareness month, your support is needed every day.

Take care, Lexi