I am a descendent of John Hart, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
John. Hart signed his death warrant by putting his "John Hancock" on the Declaration of Independence. First British, then later Hessian, troops raided his farm. His 13 kids fled to Virginia to escape death.
The Library of Congress said this after he died in 1779: "The late Speaker of that House and Signer of the Declaration of Independence died. He was the erstwhile Speaker of the House, taking an early and active part in the present revolution, and continued to the day he was seized with his last illness to discharge the duties of a faithful and upright patriot in the service of his country in general and the county he represented in particular.
“The universal approbation of his character and conduct among all ranks of people, is the best testimony of his worth, and as it must make his death regretted and lamented, will ensure lasting respect to his memory."
What eloquent writing. Compare it to Donald Trump’s Tweet: “@katyperry must have been drunk when she married Russell Brand @rustyrockets — but he did send me a really nice letter of apology!”
Contrary to Trump’s nativist view, immigrants are important to help grow an economy. But, not be wards of the state and a captive pool of Democrat voters that Hillary wants. We need a healthy dose of immigrants. These immigrants float here on a Styra-foam cooler, they will take some risks and be entrepreneurs. I hope this is not lost on lawmakers.
A personal observation about the Founding Fathers that explains America: They had ADD. Most had families and good lives in Europe, but they risked everything to come here. This explains why most creative entrepreneurs, artists and innovators reside in the U.S. and why the Germans, English and Swedes left over there are all so stoic and boring.
Ben Franklin was a printer, musician, scientist and writer. As lore has it, he was flying a kite and did not notice lightning when he discovered electricity. Today, OSHA would have shut him down. Thomas Jefferson was an inventor, architect, writer, philosopher, statesman and lawyer. Nothing could hold his attention for very long other than Sallie Hemmings.
Freedom comes with responsibility, which is why this administration and its entitlement-minded followers begrudge it. Every task the government undertakes should be measured by whether it increases or decreases freedom.
The notion of freedom and liberty resonates with people in Great Britain now, and especially in the South. I hear guys I grew up with say, "By God, if I want to keep the wild coyote I caught in my coat closet, then I ought to be able to."
Our founders did not write, "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — unless it offends someone." Their pursuit of happiness would not involve arresting us for not buying government-mandated health insurance, or spending government resources to impede gay marriage.
Remember, these men donned satin pedal-pusher britches, wigs, fancy shoes and ruffled shirts. Thus, they won our freedom — and a nomination for the first Tony Award for Best Costume in a Drama.
Ron Hart, a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author, is a frequent guest on CNN. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or tweet@RonaldHart.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HART: America’s Founding Fathers: the original Brexit