July 4, 2025

They fired muskets today, raised flags, and read the words again—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Fine words. I once bled for ’em.

Back in ’76, I wore the rebel blue. Fought alongside farmers, drunks, and blacksmiths who believed we could tear loose from a king. We did. But what came next? A new flag, sure. New taxes, new laws, and a new class of men getting fat off the same tricks the Crown pulled.

That’s when I took to the river.

Don’t get me wrong—I still believe in independence. I just stopped believing the suits in Richmond or Philadelphia had any intention of sharing it. They built courts that jailed the poor and favored the rich. They called men free but kept others in chains. They handed out land grants to friends and debts to everyone else.

So while they toasted liberty, I built a different kind of crew. No lords. No ballots. Just survival. A man earned his keep by his blade, not by birthright or paper seal.

Now I see folks celebrating today—some with pride, some with pain, and some wondering if the whole thing was ever real. To them I say this: freedom ain’t something given. It’s something you take—and something you defend every damn day.

Independence is messy. So was I. But I’d rather be a scoundrel with a backbone than a patriot on a leash.

Until next tide,

– Sam Mason, still watchin’ the river