malcontent here, day 2 of Malcontent week.

the smarmy remark by EllenB characterizing me and others as "malcontents" did trigger a lot of thought. let's look at events in Massachusetts during a turbulent time. think for yourself whether you would have been a 'malcontent' or a 'Tory'.

the boston massacre

the Suffolk resolves

the Boston tea party

the midnight ride of Paul Revere & William Dawes: "'twas the nineteenth of April in '75, hardly a man is now alive, who remembers that fateful day"   Longfellow

The events at Lexington green

The events at the rude bridge in Concord: "the shot heard 'round the world"

The events along the Great Road back to Boston, where malcontents fired on the British regulars from behind trees & stone walls

the incredible battle at Bunker (or Breed's) Hill in charlestown: " don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" what a great loss that day, when the British overran the malcontents positions on the third assault.

Yes, malcontents all. Whether we can cite their names like Col. Prescott and others, or whether they were unnamed cannon fodder, they were all malcontents. And, how much do we owe to each and every one of those malcontents who began the long, hard journey to independence. Some of them, by giving up their lives for the future that is today.

So EllenB....if you aligned me with the malcontents of these events, well it is taken as the highest of compliments. somehow, however, I have a feeling that your intent was slightly different.

Tomorrow: the 1770's in Massachusetts, continued. More malcontents, and some heroes.