jmsiowa says:

Grew up near there. most likely the volunteer fire dept. was in charge. Love making and shooting pyrotechnics but you got to respect them or they will snap back at you.

Grandpa says:

#1 – You’re right. South America, Central America, and North America. But right now this 4rth of July holiday is about The United States of America, a free sovereign country with it’s own constitution and it’s own CITIZENS. This is not about what is listed on a world map as a land mass, this is about United States CITIZENS who fight and die for their freedom.

Animby says:

# 1 fulanoche said, “…all in the Western Hemisphere are Americans, not just those living in USA.”

Very true. I make my living in many far flung parts of the world. I was a stickler for a long time to introduce myself as from the UNited States (which is also technically wrong as the descriptor could be used for someone from Mexico).

But many people don’t understand that answer and keep asking what and where until you finally cough up America as a response. Now when some street vendor in Tajikistan asks me where I’m from, I just cut to the meat and answer, “America.”

Face it. Go anywhere in the world and identify yourself as an American and no body will ask you what part of Mexico you live in. Does it get really cold in Canada? Or if you live close to the Canal Zone. No one will say, “Funny, you don’t look Peruvian.” Or, “I have an uncle who emigrated to Bolivia. Maybe you know him!”

Yes, we are all Americans but the term has become synonymous with citizens of the USA. Live with it.

Grandpa says:

#5 – NO. It’s Happy 4rth Americans. The reference is to a country. The only country that celebrates it’s independence on this date in the Americas. We’re not a land mass, we are a country of Americans.

And Jesus is from Bethlehem, not Mexico.

fulanoche says:

Bethlehem—that’s in Pennsylvania, right?

bobbo, telling shit from shinola says:

Words are made up artificial constructs and mean only what people agree they mean.

So are most other ideas.

Cursor_ says:

#4 Grandpa

The last US citizens to fight and die for the security of the US was back in 45.

So to them, thank you much.

Cursor_

cloewe says:

#14 Wrong any soldier from any era that wears a uniform of the United States all deserve respect for defending our country. I’m not sure who wrote this, but it puts everything in clear terms.
“A veteran – whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve – is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America”, for an amount of “up to and including my life.”
Sad that some don’t understand that.

Uncle Patso says:

Happy 4th of July to EVERYBODY!

deowll says:

I’d like to think the lads in the Continental Congress for some good work that could have cost them their lives.

As for the shell. If anyone was near that thing when it went off I bet that scared the crap out of them.