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Richmond’s own Statue of Liberty
05/17/2009 9:55 AM by John M
The Statue of Liberty in Chimborazo Park is one 200 replicas in 39 states erected in the 1950s by the Boy Scouts:
The project was the brainchild of Kansas City businessman, J.P. Whitaker, who was then Scout Commissioner of the Kansas City Area Council. The copper statues were manufactured by Friedley-Voshardt Co. (Chicago, IL) and purchased through the Kansas City Boy Scout office by those wanting one. All were erected in the early 1950’s by Boy Scout troops and others to celebrate Scouting’s 40th anniversary theme, “Strengthen the Arm of Liberty.”
The statues are approximately 8 1/2 feet tall without the base, constructed of sheet copper, weigh 290 pounds, and originally cost $350 plus freight.
Funny enough there is one of these in my hometown on the west coast. I guess I just can’t escape the facade of liberty.
“Facade??”
Have you ever been to a sub-Saharan African dictatorship? Have you ever been to Afghanistan? Were you ever in the former Soviet Union? Have you ever read about how native Indonesians were forcibly relocated under Suharto?
It ain’t perfect, but it’s one of the most liberal democracies on the planet, and the system that all the others you hold in high esteem are based upon.
Most Democrats are too moderate for my politics, but I had to edit the anger out of this post.
If you think that every day you don’t squander more opportunities provided for you by your country’s liberties than most of the world can imagine in a lifetime, then you need to get out of your shell and see how most of the planet lives.
Dude, this is not a democracy. This is a republic.
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” -Franklin
“If you think that every day you don’t squander more opportunities provided for you by your country’s liberties than most of the world can imagine in a lifetime, then you need to get out of your shell and see how most of the planet lives.”
Here! Here! Just last week another group of people died trying to take advantage of our “facade” of liberty.
I’m going to assume that Damn Neighbors meant “the face” of Liberty rather than a “false” liberty 🙂
Welcoming your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses and wretched refuse” to Richmond for 50 years.
Courtesy of Emma Lazarus.
I wasn’t trolling and I’m still not but apparently I need to clarify.
Obama, whom I voted for, refused to let the torture photos out.
I have lived overseas.
Censorship and propaganda in America are very real problems.
Social mobility is not necessarily so.
Go to a meeting and start shouting your point of view and you might find yourself shouting “Don’t taze me bro!”
Condemning my opinion because you believe yours is superior is feeding the facade monster.
“Give me your hungry, your tired your poor I’ll piss on ’em That’s what the statue of bigotry says Your poor huddled masses, let’s club ’em to death And get it over with and just dump ’em on the boulevard” – Lou Reed “Dirty Boulevard”
Freedom of Speech. . . Just Watch What You Say – The Iceberg (Ice-T)
Live Free or Die – Yeah that’s what they said.
Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains. JJ Rousseau
Freedom is not free – So that’s why we killed all those innocent Iraqi children we don’t see dead on TV unlike Vietnam (learn from your mistakes propaganda machine)
All Men Were Created Equal, but women, redskins, negroes, and the Mexicans who have returned to reclaim their land can rot in hell right? Seneca Falls 1848, 19th Amendment 1920, 13th Amendment 1865, Civil Rights Era 1960’s, Mexican American War ends in 1848, but continues today.
Facade:
1: the front of a building ; also : any face of a building given special architectural treatment
2: a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect
I may disagree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for my right to fight you to the death. – Colbert
’nuff said!
I forgot to finish the mention of the redskins… since they just lost in court because they waited too long, I’ll ask the following:
Who is willing to sponsor with me the next Richmond NFL team named the Blackskins, or Whiteskins, or Brownskins, or Yellowskins?
NOW, ’nuff said.
RE: “Censorship and propaganda in America are very real problems.”
True, but that doesn’t make liberty in America a “facade” hiding an alternate reality.
RE: “Go to a meeting and start shouting your point of view and you might find yourself shouting “Don’t taze me bro!—
Poor guy. You must be talking about America. Do it in Burma or North Korea and see where you end up. You’d beg for a tazing if that would get you out of the “re-education” camp.
Finally, where have you lived overseas? France? Germany?? England???
I’ve worked Mozambique where it’s illegal to make photographs of any kind any where. I’ve seen the results of the Khmer Rouge’s genocide in Cambodia, and seen children starving in Zaire while Mobutu made a habit of feeding raw steaks to his dobermans. I was in Afghanistan and not once did I see a woman who wasn’t covered from head to toe with a burqa.
Thank God this country provides you with the liberty to rant, and me with the freedom to listen and respond.
But you are clueless.
Re DN #7:
What a crock. I have no problem condemning your opinion.
I’m a decendent of the poor, tired, huddled masses. Life has been pretty good to them and to me.
Have you no blessings to count?
Ya know, I am really for free speech and all the other liberties we are afforded from our forefathers diligent efforts. But I do get SOO very sick of hearing Americans totally bashing their own country. If you hate it so much then just move somewhere else. I mean really, put your money where your mouth is and don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
Attack the person, not the issue.
@damn neighbors
RE-release of the photos- heres the facts, the last photos released from Gitmo caused a spike in violence in Iraq. Once Obama listened to his generals’ he realized he couldnt release the photos, he took his generals advice not to release the photos and risk a spiike in violence and putting American soldiers in danger.
@Liberty – Aren’t you ignoring the larger issue? Why are we in Iraq? For liberation of the 100,000+ Iraqis our bombs have killed?
Quit bickering! You’re all humans, now raise you kids right and be good people. Quit dividing yourselves – rather learn from one another. Be thankful for what you have (A LOT!) and make it better. Shit has been the same for a long time now. Corruption is nothing new. There’s not enough time for y’all to waste it with your heads in the sand. Oh, & vote 3rd party if you want CHANGE
Yeah, stop sharing your opinions. That’s not what blogs are for!
Re: Damn Neighbor’s idea of naming our team the Yellow, White- or Brownskins, I wonder if Thin-skins might not be more appropriate.
Being critical of one’s government is not wrong. It is, in fact, one of the best ways for us to improve and change. Acting as if everything is OK, ignoring or excusing the glaringly atrocious things that is done by our government is wrong.
Yes, living here is, in comparison, better than living in a whole lot of other places but we have stood and are standing on a lot of backs to have this freedom.
We can both love our country and want to see it be a better steward to it’s people and the people of the world.
And yes, I’ve been to the Soviet Union and several parts of India. Wouldn’t want to live there again but even if I hadn’t, it wouldn’t mean my perspective is less than anyone else’s. I find that to be a bad argument form and elitist.
And folks shouldn’t forget, just because you have some freedom’s today, doesn’t mean you’ll have them tomorrow.
And the surest way to lose them is to take them for granted.
Don’t believe it? Install some tracking software on your blogs and whatnot.