A Prickly Retort

O wad some Power the giftie gie us, To see oursels as ithers see us!
Robert Burns (1759–1796)

Of late, many remarks made in the Comments section of this blog on Cape Cod Today have noted my pricky and marsupial state, to wit, : "I truly don't see what useful purpose a porcupine serves. Does being covered with quills make one an eloquent word crafter?" Also, I have been warned to be careful when I step out of doors, lest fisher cats devour me.

I thought you might enjoy seeing how I was caricatured in my own time:

Great emphasis was placed on my productivity, as you can see. Spewing out my my mouth are the phrases, "No, he must be destroyed, he is too worthy", and "I hate this country, I will sow seeds of discord in it".

This cartoon appeared in a competitor’s fishwrap shortly after I published my LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT in 1797, and managed to take on Monroe, Jefferson, Noah Webster, other News Papers, and Tom Paine, all in one document. Gad! Those were the days!

The truth is, I have always found the greatest enjoyment in dipping my quill - and my barbs - in inks distilled from the grimaces and venom of my varied enemies.

So, yes - being covered with quills does indeed make a Porcupine an elegant word crafter - and my attackers of current day have far to go to match the elegant vitriol of the days of yore. En garde, mes amis!

"On November 10th, 1775, the Second Continental Congress resolved to raise two battalions of Continental Marines marking the birth of our United States Marine Corps. As Major General Lejune's message reminds us, the ensuing generations of Marines would come to signafy all that is highest in warfighting excellence and military virtue. Each November as Marines the world over celebrate the birth of our Corps, we pay tribute to that long line of "soldiers of the sea" and the illustrious legacy they have handed down to us. "

Read More About This Important Aniversary HERE at Ogre's Politiks & Views