Why Didn't Ben Franklin Sign the Delecaration?

[Don_G]

Another poster made me curious about this.

After all, wasn't he as involved as anyone if not more so at the time?

[Parche]

1. Big Ben

Because he was flying his kite!!!

[Don_G]

3. A Key To Con-Ed Won't Fly

Seriously, I'm curious....

[WoodrowFan]

2. He DID sign it.

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/
http://www.scsc.k12.ar.us/2000backeast/ENatHist/Members/WarnerL/page_4htm.htm

[Don_G]

6. My Mistake

I look at that "John Hancock", remember everyone else that had a part in it and forget their names.

God...I sound like a potential Freeper!

[SaveElmer]

4. Not sure where you are gettin your info

Ben Ben Franklin most assuredly signed the declaration of Independance.

[Ouabache]

7. Yep, I saw it in the Musical

1776

He was there singing and danicing with the rest of 'em !!

[WoodrowFan]

8. Riff Raff

Have you notice how much Franklin looks like Riff Raff in "Rocky Horror"???
(singing)
Let's do, the Revolutionary War, AGAIN!!!

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

18. The fount of Founding Father's knowledge!

Lol. (I had no idea he was that limber!)

[Sequoia]

5. He did

but who can read all those signatures at one glance.

[Don_G]

9. Thanks All

I need to look at my American History again before I reply to a right-wing post.

:yourock:

[WoodrowFan]

11. What Post?

You're welcome, but where was the ORIGINAL post??

[Don_G]

13. Here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=312274

I missed the Musical but I don't get out much and work a lot.

[Bandit]

14. You were the one that posted the erroneous information there also.

You stated the same thing in the thread you referenced. How were you responding to another poster?

[zbdent]

10. 3rd or 4th grade (early 70s), one of my classmates

asked why Ben Franklin signed it "Benji" (note, this was around 200 years before that damn scruffy dog).

So I knew immediately that this could have been somebody trolling.

Thankfully, it wasn't.

[Walt Starr]

12. Not everybody signed it originally

If I'm not mistaken, some even did not sign it during 1776.

Ben did sign it, though.

[Don_G]

15. August 2, 1777

Finally ratified between the 13 Colonies as I recall.

What's the download speed of a guy on a horse traveling across the "New Nation" as compared to the Internet?

What's the "embarrasment" factor of a guy who can't recall facts and figures to counter Right-Wing arguements.

I think I'll lurk and learn for a while....

[youngred]

20. Only 2 people signed it on July 4, 1776

the rest signed it for years and years afterwards (the idea being if you were there you had the right to do it)

[chaumont58]

16. Genius Ben said something on the occasion that is still appropriate

"If we do not hang together on this, we shall certainly hang separately."

How truthful, even today.

[gratuitous]

17. I'm glad to know he did sign it

But if he hadn't signed the Declaration, it was because he was out of town for the big Fourth of July weekend.

{Lame joke stolen wholesale from Stan Freberg, one of the funniest men on the planet.}

[VermontDem2004]

19. .

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