It was a courageous act for those who signed the Declaration of Independence to stand up to the tyranny of King George in defense of their "unalienable rights." Yet still they stood up, knowing that human rights are just too important to give up.

They were patriots. They stood up for what they knew was best for the people.

My question for you in 2008 is, do you have that same courage - the courage to be a patriot and do right by our country? And what are you going to do for our country to make it live up to its ideals?

I just found this in my inbox and had to share it with you. It's from retired Army National Guard Sgt. Kelly Dougherty, executive director of Iraq Veterans Against the War. The full email is on IVAW's website, but I can't resist sharing a few choice snippets here.

Just a few days ago Independence Day came and went, and did anyone notice? June 28th was the day the US returned sovereignty to Iraq in 2004, and it should be a day of celebration, a day when Iraqis mark their equal status among nations, just as America did more than two centuries ago.

It gets a lot better. Join me below the flip.

USA Today: High gas prices threaten to shut down rural towns

The price of gas isn't an annoyance here. It's a calamity.

Peggy Hanley uses a generator that burns a gallon of diesel fuel every hour —at about $5 a gallon— to power Forks General Store, the only place to buy groceries for miles around. There's no electric service, so Hanley, the owner, uses the generator to run eight refrigerators, nine freezers, lights and two ice machines for the store, which has been in a trailer since a fire destroyed the original building in 1994.

...

This community may be an extreme example of how rising gas prices are hitting rural Americans particularly hard, but people in small towns from Maine to Alaska are in a similar bind as those here.

TOP STORY

MSNBC: Report: Climate change impacts security

Global warming is likely to increase illegal immigration, create humanitarian disasters and destabilize precarious governments and could add to terrorism, all of which could threaten U.S. national security, according to an assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies.

"Logic suggests the conditions exacerbated (by climate change) would increase the pool of potential recruits for terrorism," said Tom Fingar, deputy director of national intelligence for analysis, who testified before a joint House committee hearing Wednesday.

Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central and Southeast Asia are most vulnerable to warming-related drought, flooding, extreme weather and hunger. The intelligence assessment warns of a global spillover of those troubles: increased migration and water-related disputes, he said in prepared remarks.

TOP STORY

IHT: Taiwan leader urges rapid expansion of economic ties to China

President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan called Wednesday for a rapid expansion of economic relations between Taiwan and mainland China over the next year or two that would go far beyond the weekend charter flights and increased tourism that were announced last  Friday.

Ma said that he wanted broad access for Taiwanese financial services businesses to the mainland market, an end to double taxation by government agencies in both Taipei and Beijing, and the removal of investment restrictions.

He also called for direct sea and air cargo links across the Taiwan Strait, regularly scheduled passenger flights, the drafting of common technical standards for the high-tech industry by both sides and the creation of a system to resolve commercial disagreements.

Christian Science Monitor: All eyes on Irish in key E.U. vote

On Thursday, Ireland will be – for a day, at least – the most influential country in Europe, as its citizens vote on a treaty designed to streamline continent-wide cooperation on everything from climate change to international terrorism.

Advocates hope the outcome will be more than a better-oiled bureaucracy, however. They say the Lisbon Treaty would strengthen the European Union on the world stage, giving it more leverage on important issues such as its energy policy toward Russia, which has been hamstrung by a lack of coordination for years.

In order to go into effect, the treaty must be ratified by all 27 members of the EU. Ireland alone has put the treaty up for a public referendum instead of a parliamentary vote, essentially giving Irish voters a veto over the whole process.

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger:

He has inspired our country with a positive vision for a better America -- and with concrete plans to turn that vision into reality.

...

On every issue that counts, we can count on Barack Obama to stand with our members, our families and our communities. He has pledged to rebuild America's manufacturing base and to assist the auto industry as we re-tool toward a cleaner, more modern transportation system. "Sen. Obama supports free choice in the workplace; he will fight to deliver quality, affordable health care to every American; and he understands the need to change our trade policies so that U.S. workers and U.S. companies can compete fairly in the global economy.

TOP STORY:

International Herald Tribune: Hyperbolic reactions to Obama from abroad

Across the globe, pundits and politicians of all stripes competed for hyperbole Wednesday to applaud Senator Barack Obama's claim of victory in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, almost as if he had already been elected to the White House.

His triumph in the primaries, many said, signaled the defeat of racism, and if Obama became president his election would presage a departure from what outsiders have broadly depicted as the go-it-alone belligerence of the Bush era.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is protesting her elimination from the 2008 Scripps Howard Quayle National Spelling Bee.

Clinton misspelled credential in the first round of the two-day competition, spelling it C-R-I-D-E-N-C-H-I-L-L.

"It's unfair that among the 12 remaining spellers, some are from caucus states. They shouldn't count," said Clinton, who last year misspelled caucus K-A-H-K-I-S-S.

"To seat those contestants but not Senator Clinton would be an insult to democracy," said Harold Ickes, who had previously voted to remove Clinton from the competition.

Clinton added that she still believes she can win with the help of superspellegates.

In other Spelling Bee news, for the eighth year in a row, President Bush was eliminated for misspelling W.

(cross-posted at Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott)

While his critics continue to attack him and accuse him of not supporting our troops even as they themselves have neglected our men and women in uniform, Michael Moore is showing once again that actions do speak louder than words.

Moore, founder of the Traverse City Film Festival that owns the State Theatre downtown, said the theater is implementing a new labor policy requiring all its contractors and vendors to attempt to hire veterans who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Moore described it as an "affirmative action" measure to help area veterans find employment opportunities when they return home -- opportunities that Moore said are severely lacking for many servicemen and women.

All who feel left out, abandoned, rejected, lonely... come on in. Everyone else too.

WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?

Welcome to our weekly gathering, where everyone is welcome. In fact, I insist you come in! :-)

(If not for Democratic Convention Watch, this post would be nonexistent. A HUGE hat tip to DCW! Also, this post is cross-posted from Great Lakes, Great Times, Great Scott.)

WARNING: The contents of this post may be VERY CONFUSING!

So why do most of the pundits, analysts, Kosmopolitans, etc., agree that the race is over even as Hillary Clinton fights on? It's all in the numbers.

If there are just a few things my parents, teachers, and priests all had in common, one is that they cared for me, and another is that they wanted me to care for others. From an early age, they taught me the importance of respect and tolerance toward each other, especially toward people who are different than me.

Now, I'm not part of the LGBT community. But that's not my choice. That's nobody's choice. You are or you aren't, just like you are male or you are female. Thus, any form of hatred toward someone who is LGBT is downright unacceptable.

How sickening that that so many people have a deep-seated resentment of people who just happen to be different than them - in race, gender, sexual orientation, you name it. Even worse is the fact that so many people find it necessary to act on their hatred through violence.

Today the Triangle Foundation released its study of hate crimes in 2007, and probably to no one's surprise, reports of anti-LGBT hate crimes have skyrocketed.

Wow! People talk about being "Fired Up and Ready to Go" at Obama rallies, but I must say I never imagined seeing what I just saw in Grand Rapids, in the heart of conservative West Michigan.

An endorsement from John Edwards.

I just came back from the Michigan Policy Summit, and boy am I excited! The summit included keynotes by Amy Goodman of Democracy NOW! and the legendary Jim Hightower.  Also, Jeffrey Feldman and Marcy Wheeler, who have Michigan ties, were also there (check out Feldman's liveblog).

In addition, breakout sessions were held dealing with issues surrounding the environment, healthcare, and education.

Precinct Delegate's bowling average, pastor's remarks called into question by opponents

KENTWOOD, MI (Don't-Want-To-Be-Associated-With-McCain Press) - Democratic Precinct Delegate Scott Urbanowski (D-Smartypants) told reporters that his experience - and love for man's best friend - will be key to saving Kentwood's Third Precinct from Complete and Utter Annihilation.

The Delegate made those remarks Friday after filing to run for a second term as Precinct Delegate. He had announced his intention to run for re-election last year.

I'll make this quick. I'm happy to report a victory for the health of citizens of the Great Lakes State.

The Michigan Senate has just passed a ban on smoking in the workplace!

The bill passed 25-12 and will be returned to the House for a concurrence vote, after which it will be presented to the Governor.

We are all inspired. We all have the power to inspire.

Eric, my professor for my Introduction to Leadership class, mentioned earlier in the semester that we would be doing a powerful activity in class that would help us get a better sense of the true meaning of leadership. The activity was delayed due to a couple of class cancellations (snow days, to be exact), but finally, near the end of the semester, Eric was able to set aside some class time for it.

What was the activity? What was my humble contribution? Come below the fold and find out - and then share your story!