July 4th is the 235th  birthday of that special experiment in liberty known as the United States of America. Kudos and Huzzahs to this great nation and all she stands for on this special day, of which more is to follow forthwith.  There is a more personal reason to celebrate for me , however, as this is the 1st anniversary of the birth of a small outpost defender of that freedom we hold dear, the first birthday of  Ramparts of Civilization. 

     Born on the 4th of July, 2010, as a unapologetic defender of the positive contributions and special characteristics that have defined western civilization development over the past 2600 years, Ramparts has tried to bring to light the special components of who we are , and the principles worth fighting for.  In a year of 190 essay posts, encompassing over 130,000 written words, we have tried to focus on the current, the controversial, the uplifting, the memorable, and the obscure.  I hope that if nothing else, Ramparts has allowed the reader a relatively painless and hopefully entertaining reminder of the interesting world around us, and a moment, however brief, of introspection.

      In the past year, Ramparts has reviewed artists such as Gerhartz, Homer, Renoir, and Michelangelo;  followed the harrowing and ultimately triumphant story of the Chilean miner rescue; delved into the flashpoints of battle such as Gettysburg, Battle of Britain, and Midway; returned to light such forgotten heroes  as Charles “the Hammer” Martel, Nikola Tesla, Norman Borlaug, and Christoffa Corumbo;  reminded us of the glories of musical genius found in Glenn Gould, Jacqueline Du’Pre, and Alica De Larrocha; asked us to look closer at civilization’s knights in Friedrich Hayek,  Abraham Lincoln, and Winston Churchill; raised to consciousness defenders of the ramparts such as Mark Steyn, Bernard Lewis, and Daniel Hannan; pounded the critical economic factors of the developing debt crisis slowly strangulating western civilization and noted its impact on the evolving political revolution; and revelled in the beautiful musical creativity of stars such as Sinatra, Richard Rogers, Irving Berlin, and Allison Kraus.  These stories and so many more fill the vast repository of moments and accomplishments that define the western ideal.

     So begins another year of Ramparts of Civilization.  It will I’m sure be an interesting journey;  how can it not?  To those who have come along so far, I hope to see you become more involved in the coming year with your comments, to help me better understand your own view, and what you have liked and not liked about the site.  To the new visitors, welcome aboard,  please enjoy reading and thinking, unsheathe your rhetorical swords, and help join, with your fellow defenders, at the  Ramparts of Civilization.