Saturday, June 5, 2021

I AM NOT A VIRGINIAN, I AM AN AMERICAN - PATRICK HENRY.

ICHEOKU says a beautiful speech indeed in the league of Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech. Speaking of Patrick Henry's 1975 "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in Richmond during the Second Virginia Convention to discuss the Old Dominion's strategy in continuing negotiations with the British Crown. A very motivational speech indeed which eventually paved the way for America's independence in 1776 as he successfully rallied men to rise and defend their honor by freeing themselves from the shackles and manacles of their colonial British masters. 

ICHEOKU says may be Biafrans should take a page from Patrick Henry's solution for their Fulani Nigerian problem since their remonstrations and supplications have not yielded them any result all these many decades. May be their long quest for freedom calls for a bloody violent revolution just like the Patrick Henry's era Americans, since their Fulani Nigerians oppressors have proven themselves impervious to reason. As is well known, those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. If Americans did it, why not Biafrans?

Patrick Henry was a great man, well lettered and supremely gifted with a great oratorial skill. He was a great lawyer too and later became governor of Virginia. ICHEOKU says loves the speech, now happy trails.

“I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves, and the House?

Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled, that force must be called in to win back our love? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other.

Our petitions have been slighted, our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne…we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!

The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" - Patrick Henry.

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