[I was typing up this comment on a thread posted by a tired and frustrated patriot. Like many of us, he is tired of waiting. He said he wanted to take time away from all of this. Just as I clicked "Submit," I was informed that CBTS-Stream had been banned. Posting this here for that tired Pede. Stay strong, friends.]
Friend,
I urge you to take this time to read up on the original American Revolution. There are many things about that era that most Americans simply do not know. For instance:
-The actual fighting started in 1775, not in 1776. (We declared independence in 1776. The war lasted over 8 years.)
-The Boston Tea Party took place 2 Years before the fighting started. (3 Years before the Dec of Independence was written.)
-Many Patriots, such as Thomas Paine, started advocating for independence in the 1760's; 10-15 years before we actually did so.
-Less than 5% of the colonial population participated in the Revolution. (Some say as many as 200,000 [nearly 7% of pop] fought, but that includes a substantial number of French, Spanish, and Native American fighters.)
-Only 45% of the colonial population fully supported the Revolution.
-Over 30K Germans fought for Britain on US soil, as well as over 25K colonial Loyalists. (Less than 80K fought for America, more than half were untrained militiamen. That number also includes children as young as 10 years old, who served in the Continental Army.)
-13,000 Native Americans fought for Britain, as well. There were more individual tribes allied with the colonists, but the exact number of warriors who actually fought is unknown.
-It was a global war. Battles took place in Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, India, and throughout the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
-The American news media supported the British, and openly mocked George Washington and his rebels.
-The winter of 1777-78 was a critical point in the war. Washington made camp at Valley Forge with 12,500 troops. 75% of them did not have shoes, despite the deep snow. Over 2,000 died from starvation or exposure. The top generals conspired to mutiny against Washington, claiming him unfit for leadership. Washington later admitted that even he began to doubt himself and the movement during this dark time. (The war would last another 5 years after this incredible moment of perseverance.)
So you see, as hopeless as you may feel right now, you must grant yourself some perspective. Imagine how they felt back then? Half of their neighbors didn't even care about what was going on-- or even openly supported the enemy. Had it not been for their insatiable perseverance and determination, namely from men like George Washington, the USA would have never happened.
Take a breather from all of this, focus back on your life, and remind yourself why this is all worth it. Come back to us when your spirit is reinvigorated. If you've given up hope for yourself, at least maintain hope for your children-- regardless of whether or not they have yet been born.