The Rifleman  

A long time ago, a founder had this to say about people in his home colony:

“I am wearied out, with Expectations that the Massachusetts Troops would have arrived, e’er now, at Head Quarters. — Do our People intend to leave the Continent in the Lurch? Do they mean to submit? or what Fatality attends them? With the noblest Prize in View, that ever Mortals contended for, and with the fairest Prospect of obtaining it upon easy Terms, The People of the Massachusetts Bay, are dead.

“Does our State intend to send only half, or a third of their Quota? Do they wish to see another, crippled, disastrous and disgracefull Campaign for Want of an Army? — I am more sick and more ashamed of my own Countrymen, than ever I was before.” - Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 26 April 1777 [electronic edition]. Adams Family Papers: An Electronic Archive. Massachusetts Historical Society. http://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/

Lest we wax too eloquent about the sloth of modern Americans (which Fred is wont to do, being as they are the only Americans he has experience with), it is good to understand that many of the same problems we have today - ignorance, laziness, and apathy - were part of the human condition even back in the early days of the Republic.

The difference being that, back then, you were asked to grab your single-shot, muzzle-loading musket, and head out to face British lead and steel; whereas, now, all you are asked to do, is get off the couch, grab a bucket, and help bail to save the ship.

There are even people in Appleseed who will tell you it is fun, bailing.

But here’s a founder who was moved to describe fellow members of the Founding Generation as “dead” - and all because they were letting a noble cause slip thru their hands when all along, were they but willing to step forward, that cause could be obtained upon “easy terms”.

And prob so. If Americans back then had stepped forward as one people, and mustered an army of 100,000 - or even 50,000 - chances are good the Rev War would have been much shorter…

Since John Adams brought up the subject with its implied question of whether Americans are dead, whether or not they are buried, perhaps we should spend a few minutes considering the issue from a more modern point of view.

To re-ask Adam’s question, only in reverse - not “are Americans dead?” - but, “are Americans alive?”

It seems unnecessary to say it: to be alive, is to show signs of life.

But it somewhat begs the question, for then you have to ask, “what are ’signs of life’?”

Well, “movement” would be one - just as laying on the ground, perfectly still, unmoving, could be a sign of non-life.

“Movement” implies “motion”, which implies “action”.

So, what is “action”?

Guess you could say, “‘action’ is ‘doing something’”.

And the converse of action is not only “doing nothing”, but “thinking, without doing”.

“Thinking” can include “feeling”, and “believing” - as in “I feel strongly about the Bill of Rights” or “I believe in the Second Amendment”.

Now, we’ve already defined “thinking, without doing” as congruent with signs of non-life. Which suggests you can sit around all day, “thinking”, “feeling”, and “believing” - and others can wonder if you are even “alive” - because they see no motion, no action.

Yes, I know the cynic would say “You wanna see Americans in action? Simply unplug the TV, and watch how fast they rocket off the couch, to put the plug back in…”

Like that old humorous sign at a store: “Wanna see the dead come to life? Be here at quitting time…”

But the prob is that the only “quitting time” in life is death.

And it seems a shame to show signs of life only at “quitting time” (some people will exhibit signs of remorse about a “wasted life” as they get older - sorta a premonition of quitting-time coming…).

So, to come to a conclusion: To be alive, is to act.

By that definition, most Americans are not alive - unless you count eating, sleeping, defecating, sex, driving to work, and TV-time - as “action”.

Most of us would not consider the above any more “action” than breathing is action.

And “breathing” is clearly not “action”, certainly not meaningful action.

OK, so there’s a new concept: “Meaningful action”.

We should also throw in the notion of “effective” action - since, you can argue, ineffective action is no better than no action at all.

Therefore, if our definition of “life” is showing “action”, and our definition of “action” includes the twin dimensions of “meaningful” and “effective”, where does that leave modern breathing, eating, defecating, TV-watching, driving-to-work, voting-for-the-same-lying-politicians Americans?

Would it be fair to say, on the Dunce-heap of History? Is that too strong?

Worse, is that something we need to learn to live with?

Or is there hope we can change that picture?

I say there is such hope - and its name is Appleseed.

Teaching Americans their history and heritage - the facts and events surrounding that critical first day - April 19th, 1775 - gives them a perspective on life few of them have now.

And believe me, it makes a difference.

We need to get every American we can, to Appleseed.

A new word in the language - which is both a noun, and a verb (”to Appleseed)!

We need Americans to get back in touch with “action” as a concept.

No longer being passive couch-sitters, but alert people who care about the important things of life.

One of which is Liberty.

Appleseed is the only program I know that can do that.

You need to be a part of it.

So we can show, “there is life in America…”

Ever wonder why the founders never went to their keyboards?

Could it be because they were too busy doing other things?

Unlike modern 21st-century Americans, who have little better to do than jump on the nearest keyboard and start pounding away at the keys, sending their opinions into cyberspace, thinking they are doing something worthwhile - or, if not worthwhile, at least enjoyable.

Where else but the internet can you be a super-hero, unafraid of anyone who walks the earth, protected by that keyboard and the internet anonymity?

You can live your fantasy life, and for most of the internet guys, it’s an exciting one - and, for some of you, the only life you have that’s worth anything.

Slow on the uptake, our internet commandoes don’t realize that anyone with a brain will not be too impressed that they were “snipers in Vietnam” - ho hum - there must have been millions, or at least 100s of thousands Vietnam snipers, to listen to ‘em.

And Delta operators? A dime a dozen.

I’m surprised “special ops” still carries enough cachet to make anyone claim training-experience-participation - surely by now, everyone knows 99% of such internet claims are like most of the other claims on the net - total fabrication. Has to be, as there’s millions of them, all out there, on the internet, letting it drop that “when I was doing ‘black’ work” - when anyone in “black work” is very unlikely to be tooting it on the ‘net.

Only these guys, for whom getting away with pretending to be something they are not is a thrill, one that gives meaning to otherwise meaningless and worthless lives - and the only place they can do it is on the blessed internet - but it’s so easy there, they can’t resist it - only these guys, these millions of half-humans with no life, choose the internet over a real life.

Yep, when our keyboard heroes get tired of their computer action games, they can sally forth, bold and unafraid, on their favorite place, the internet.

Why there’s more testosterone at the keyboard than any place on earth. And more bravery, and more courage. Wonders never cease. Only the internet can do this. Turn pale, pasty, overweight, pathetic doufasses into heroes with a few strokes on a keyboard.

What is it about the keyboard that stimulates the male hormones?

Is it freedom - freedom to say what you want, and to find an equally gullible naive person to believe it - “Wow! You were airborne-ranger-sniper-delta? Cool!”

Freedom - it can make a man of you.

Of course, you did nothing to earn that freedom. And in fact, are unknowingly pissing it all away, just by being ignorant.

And while freedom can make a man of you, freedom on the internet is not likely to do it.

The internet is like the ocean. It can drown you, or it can feed you.

There’s loads of knowledge to be learned on the internet. And great loads of yak-sites, and forums to posture in.

What you get out of the ocean depends on what you bring to it.

A ceaseless search for knowledge, or the desire to parade a phony masculine image?

For too many Americans produced by our fine educational system, it’s the latter. Secure in the high esteem they’ve been cultivated to have, and confident in their ignorance, and not caring about anything but themselves, and having found that keyboard typing is one of the best things ever for lazy people, why the internet is a perfect fit.

“Opium for the masses” Marx was concerned about. He said it before TV. And he said it before the internet.

No question what “opium for the masses” is, today.

Why, if Nero had had access to the net, wanna bet it wouldn’t be fiddlin’ he’d been doing, while Rome burned?

So, all over this great land, citizens (what a misnomer!) are sitting in front of pale screens typing worthless stuff so other worthless, life-challenged people can read it, and try to equal or out-do them in reply.

All the while the Titanic is sinking.

Speaking of which, if they’d had access to the net on the Titanic, there’d have been even more room in the boats.

So the Titanic sinks, while you type drivel…

Now, there’s a concrete accomplishment, even if you don’t know it…

But maybe it shows why the Founders ditched keyboards, if they ever had any. And TV, for that matter. And I doubt they were big sports fans, either.

If they didn’t “do” sports (watching the game on the tube), and they didn’t sit all night in front of the keyboard, huffing and puffing on the internet - and they dissed computer games - then what the heck did they do?

Could it be, that they thought abut things?

Actually, used their brains?

Possibly, as a result, they never set any records on Pac Man (doubt they ever got as far as the more advanced games - they did live, as you know, in 1775 ), but they did stand up on a cold spring morning, and begin the process of creating a free country.

Let’s see, this is a tough one: computer game record high scores, or “beginning a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

That’s gotta be a tough one for us 21st-century types. (Or maybe not. )

When you forget, it’s like it never happened.

It’s not good enough that it’s written down somewhere; it has to be remembered.

That’s why the Founders would want you to come to an Appleseed.

So you can hear The Story. The one you never heard in school. What really happened. And why.

Who fired the first shots at Lexington (yes, historians don’t know, but we riflemen do - and will prove it to you).

What enabled a bunch of civilian militia to break the British companies at the North Bridge, and put them to flight, in only two minutes.

And you’ll find out where the Rev War really broke out that day (hint: it was not Lexington; it was not Concord).

Learning all this? You? Think the Founders would be delighted?

Never forget: to remember, is to honor.

Little enough for us to do, as Americans.

To know our past is to make us want to treasure that heritage. To protect it. To keep it alive. To live by it. To guide ourselves by it.

It’s an anchor that offers stability in a world increasingly spinning out of control.

Enough of us learn it, take it in, become conquered by it, and we’ll find that the Past can help the Present save the Future.

Any every person out there on Battle Road that Day, everyone fighting for liberty, will have the satisfaction that what they did that long afternoon saved the nation not once - but twice!

Appleseed: Making Americans what they should be…

PS: The Appleseed site (www.appleseedinfo.org) is certified to be 100% free of anything but hard-working Americans striving to put in place a program with the capability of saving their country. Visit the site. Find out about Appleseed. Then join with us, if you need a life with meaning, a purpose-driven life, a life worth living. Something like what the Founders had in mind…