“These are the times that try men’s souls; the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”
Thomas Paine, “The American Crisis” 1776
Dec. 19, 1776: Published as a pamphlet in Philadelphia.
Dec. 24, 1776: Read to Washington’s troops before the crossing of the Delaware River and victory in the Battle of Trenton.
I read Citizen Tom Paine by Howard Fast when I was a teen. A few years later when I became a student activist, I thought often about his principled stands, his dedication, clarity and courage. He is a rare light back in the days of the “founders” many of whom contributed to the obscurant blindness to the effects of slavery on the US. Paine understood that the freedom of any person depends on the freedom of each and every person.
It’s a great read, as are his original pamphlets.
I read it in my mid-20s, sitting in a Chino CA jail cell. Great diversion.
When I was in my 20s, sitting in a Texas slave labor camp doing time for marijuana possession, I read Man of Reason: The Life of Thomas Paine. We need to remember his words. We have our system of checks and balances in our country and we have The wonderful people of The State of California to lead our Resistance. Something that you should be proud of. Life is about turning negatives into positives. What other choice do we have ?
Thanks Jan Michael. It’s amazing how Paine’s words resonate today. I do believe that in the end, it’s the people of the country that will be the final system of checks and balances.