250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord coming up...

[Warm_Garand]

If you were awakened by the sound of church bells ringing that cold April morning before dawn would you have gotten out of bed?

 

[AJK129]

If you were awakened by the sound of church bells ringing that cold April morning before dawn would you have gotten out of bed?

My ancestors had one of the gun caches in Concord the British were marching towards, so yeah probably woulda been up and ready

 

[Fixxah]

I probably would have been up to piss already.

 

[Warm_Garand]

My ancestors had one of the gun caches in Concord the British were marching towards, so yeah probably woulda been up and ready

Nice.

 

[Warm_Garand]

..."Stand your ground," Parker ordered. "Don't fire unless fired upon. But, if they want to have a war, let it begin here."

 

[Dennis in MA]

Sad that it seems like no one cares. A far cry from the excitement 50 years ago.

 

[Warm_Garand]

Sad that it seems like no one cares. A far cry from the excitement 50 years ago.

The 250th anniversary seems a ready-made platform for 2A activism.

Wouldn't it be nice to see 10,000 MA gun owners wearing bright yellow COME AND TAKE THEM t-shirts backing up the militia on Lexington Green.

 

[RumRunner]

Heard that the town of Concord is expecting over 100K visitors that weekend. Going to be crowded

 

[Uzi2]

The 250th anniversary seems a ready-made platform for 2A activism.

Wouldn't it be nice to see 10,000 MA gun owners wearing bright yellow WITH SIDEARMS AND SLUNG RIFLES WITH STANDARD CAPACITY MAGAZINES, WEARING COME AND TAKE THEM t-shirts backing up BEING The militia as it was intended to be, on Lexington Green.

FIXED.

 

[Uzi2]

Heard that the town of Concord is expecting over 100K visitors that weekend. Going to be crowded

If anyone is going, plan on getting there early and parking a good distance away then walking or biking a good distance because there's no parking for many, many blocks in the area.

The usual Lexington Gestapo will be there in force with their usual bad fvcking attitudes.

 

[RumRunner]

If anyone is going, plan on getting there early and parking a good distance away then walking or biking a good distance because there's no parking for many, many blocks in the area.

The usual Lexington Gestapo will be there in force with their usual bad fvcking attitudes.

For Concord, they are closing down the area starting on Friday and no parking over the entire weekend. Not like they usually do just closing it the morning of the reenactment/parade. I usually drive in and park in a school parking lot and walk up to the park, but that won't be an option this year.

 

[pewpewpew]

If you were awakened by the sound of church bells ringing that cold April morning before dawn would you have gotten out of bed?

Hell f***in yeah dude

People back then were absolutely positively badass. War was literal insanity and people went and fought. The Spirit of '76 (a giant painting you can see at Marblehead Town Hall) shows some little kid, like, idk, maybe 10 years old or something, playing a piccolo walking through battle and chaos. People were just straight up built different back then.

 

[Picton]

Hell f***in yeah dude

People back then were absolutely positively badass. War was literal insanity and people went and fought. The Spirit of '76 (a giant painting you can see at Marblehead Town Hall) shows some little kid, like, idk, maybe 10 years old or something, playing a piccolo walking through battle and chaos. People were just straight up built different back then.

They were built the same.

What was different was society's expectations.

 

[Warm_Garand]

RE: WITH SIDEARMS AND SLUNG RIFLES WITH STANDARD CAPACITY MAGAZINES, WEARING

That has been done. Lobby Day in Virginia. The Governor declared a State of Emergency and (iirc) fled the State. There are only 2,000 State Police and they were vastly outgunned that morning and they knew it. They were NOT happy about being placed in that position by moonbat politicians. Lobby Day wasn't about "guns", it was about Freedom, and everybody in the crowd knew it. It was a brilliant exercise in civic responsibility. But Virginia is a million miles away from MA politically, quite frankly they take their rights more seriously than MA does and a lot of people that day were ready to stand up and die for them. All that aside, I'd say that gesture would be politically counter-productive in MA. The guys in VA were lawfully assembled and in violation of no laws. MA can and (probably) will arrest you on sight for both bearing a loaded standard capacity mag and open carrying a rifle, they learned the lesson of Lobby Day and already have the laws they need in place--and if/when an armed protester were taken down by the police the public would cheer and be on their side.

 

[not new guy]

Hell f***in yeah dude

People back then were absolutely positively badass. War was literal insanity and people went and fought. The Spirit of '76 (a giant painting you can see at Marblehead Town Hall) shows some little kid, like, idk, maybe 10 years old or something, playing a piccolo walking through battle and chaos. People were just straight up built different back then.

Many were, but lots of people also weren't, both loyalists and otherwise. It's tough to walk away from your life and family to fight in the name of an idea, which at the time probably didn't even yet qualify as a fantasy. For much of the war - which ran 8 years - we had a hard time getting people to show up, to not run away, and to stick around past their enlistment period. Not always having food, shoes, guns or pay for the troops didn't help. It's been glorified over the centuries since of course, but it was an ugly business. Still proud of our revolutionary American predecessors though.

Having not really read about or studied any of it I recently finished a book about the beginning of the war and it was absolutely fascinating. The stuff they teach you in school about it, or even the stuff you may find in a short netflix documentary series, doesn't scratch the surface.

 

[Picton]

Many were, but lots of people also weren't, both loyalists and otherwise. It's tough to walk away from your life and family to fight in the name of an idea, which at the time probably didn't even yet qualify as a fantasy. For much of the war - which ran 8 years - we had a hard time getting people to show up, to not run away, and to stick around past their enlistment period. Not always having food, shoes, guns or pay for the troops didn't help. It's been glorified over the centuries since of course, but it was an ugly business. Still proud of our revolutionary American predecessors though.

This. So much this.

The mythmaking has been strong and pervasive about how the Revolution was fought. In reality, the VAST majority of the people living in the Colonies didn't really care that much who they paid their taxes to. It was a very small group that actually stood up and fought, all up and down the eastern seaboard.

That said? Back then, meetinghouse bells tolling wildly meant get your ass up and come at once. People did it because they didn't know whether it was a fire, a flood, or a column of Regulars. We'd do the same today, if we still lived that way. After that?

Some of us would get a musket and go to war. Some would probably go home. It was the same way then.

 

[Uzi2]

RE: WITH SIDEARMS AND SLUNG RIFLES WITH STANDARD CAPACITY MAGAZINES, WEARING

That has been done. Lobby Day in Virginia. The Governor declared a State of Emergency and (iirc) fled the State. There are only 2,000 State Police and they were vastly outgunned that morning and they knew it. They were NOT happy about being placed in that position by moonbat politicians. But Virginia is a million miles away from MA politically, quite frankly they take their rights more seriously than MA does and a lot of people that day were ready to stand up and die for them. All that aside, I'd say that gesture would be politically counter-productive in MA. The guys in VA were lawfully assembled and in violation of no laws. MA can and (probably) will arrest you on sight for both bearing a loaded standard capacity mag and open carrying a rifle, they learned the lesson of Lobby Day and already have the laws they need in place--and if/when an armed protester were taken down by the police the public would cheer and be on their side.

Ya, just sit back and take it. You just don't get it and never will.

When government abuse has reached the point of having to gather, armed.........who the hell would be worried about being arrested?

Trying to arrest someone in a crowd of 10,000 armed pissed off people with a bad attitude would be suicidal. Any cop who would try it deserves to be shot multiple times from multiple directions.

 

[pewpewpew]

Many were, but lots of people also weren't, both loyalists and otherwise. It's tough to walk away from your life and family to fight in the name of an idea, which at the time probably didn't even yet qualify as a fantasy. For much of the war - which ran 8 years - we had a hard time getting people to show up, to not run away, and to stick around past their enlistment period. Not always having food, shoes, guns or pay for the troops didn't help. It's been glorified over the centuries since of course, but it was an ugly business. Still proud of our revolutionary American predecessors though.

Having not really read about or studied any of it I recently finished a book about the beginning of the war and it was absolutely fascinating. The stuff they teach you in school about it, or even the stuff you may find in a short netflix documentary series, doesn't scratch the surface.

My knowledge on the subject is mostly the superficial glorified version taught in school plus a few odd tidbits here and there I've come across. Nevertheless, I'm in admiration of a person who showed up for even one battle. Those battles were nuts. The whole premise was nuts. It takes a certain mentality. We need to get back in touch with that in the USA, imo.

 

[Warm_Garand]

I was struck watching the documentary The Sorrow And The Pity about collaboration during the occupation of france.

So many people just go along. So few set their feet and say no.

Afterward everybody pretends how they had the balls.

 

[not new guy]

What struck me was how we came so close to losing the war so many times. How the whole thing hinged on one battle or another happening at just the right time. And we're not talking normandy level stuff, we're talking about hundreds of guys taking a stand (i.e. hiding behind a wall somewhere) and shifting sentiment just enough to keep us in the fight. One decision by the British not to pursue the fleeing rebels here, or one misstep by Washington or some other officer there. Mix in a few tactical hail marys by the americans and a little bit of providence at the beginning - and a whole bunch of support from the french later - and we pulled it off, but it's crazy how close we came to completely failing.

 

[Fixxah]

They were built the same.

What was different was society's expectations.

And no innerweb.

 

[Warm_Garand]

Ya, just sit back and take it. You just don't get it and never will.

When government abuse has reached the point of having to gather, armed.........who the hell would be worried about being arrested?

Trying to arrest someone in a crowd of 10,000 armed pissed off people with a bad attitude would be suicidal. Any cop who would try it deserves to be shot multiple times from multiple directions.

Well actually, I'd say I "get it" just fine.

 

[VTski4x4]

My ancestor (John Adams) was in the Continental Congress pulling strings. This did remind me to sign up for another Appleseed though.

 

[Warm_Garand]

My buddy's dad used to walk over to the re-enactment at the Battle Green in the late 70's and early 80's carrying his musket. Tricorner hat, huge bushy moustache.

After he died, my buddy found his dad's musket in the basement of their Cape house. It was all rusty, the barrel crown was dented in but good, and the lock was rusty and broken.

With the help of an old-timer in Vermont (who actually had the parts it needed in a box under his bench) I managed to put it back in fighting trim for him.

We still haven't shot it yet.

Shame on us.

 

[Rockrivr1]

I wouldn’t have been surprised if the town tried to dampen the celebration. Seeing how they do not care for freedom much nowadays. They for one should not be celebrating seeing how they tax their residents. Then again. The residents deserve what they voted for.

 

[RumRunner]

I wouldn’t have been surprised if the town tried to dampen the celebration. Seeing how they do not care for freedom much nowadays. They for one should not be celebrating seeing how they tax their residents. Then again. The residents deserve what they voted for.

Concord is all in for the 250th, started having events last year leading up to it. Can't comment on Lexington though. Last week Pepperell had a 250 kick off event with cannon fire and musket volleys.

 

[wcorey]

Ya, just sit back and take it. You just don't get it and never will.

When government abuse has reached the point of having to gather, armed.........who the hell would be worried about being arrested?

Trying to arrest someone in a crowd of 10,000 armed pissed off people with a bad attitude would be suicidal. Any cop who would try it deserves to be shot multiple times from multiple directions.

Didn't you learn anything from Jan 6th?
They don't arrest you in the crowd, they wait until you're back home then ferret you out and ruin your life through lies, deceit and corruption...

 

[Dennis in MA]

If anyone is going, plan on getting there early and parking a good distance away then walking or biking a good distance because there's no parking for many, many blocks in the area.

The usual Lexington Gestapo will be there in force with their usual bad fvcking attitudes.

My brother has gone a bunch of times. I think one year he took my girls. He parks somewhere. Several towns away? There is a bike path/rail-trail to the center. Hops on his bike. He's there in 20 min. Take in the sights. Bike out. No traffic. No problems.

 

[Rockrivr1]

My brother has gone a bunch of times. I think one year he took my girls. He parks somewhere. Several towns away? There is a bike path/rail-trail to the center. Hops on his bike. He's there in 20 min. Take in the sights. Bike out. No traffic. No problems.

A few years back they tried parking far away and bussing people in. Basically you spent your day mostly in the bus, stuck in traffic with long lines to get on. Not sure if they do that anymore.