1776
4th of July: barbeques roaring, cold ones popping, and fireworks lighting up the skies.
We all know the history of Independence Day, but does anyone ever stop and think what happened after that day on July 5th (happy birthday, Mom!), or the days, months, and years after that?
How we not only fought for our independence, but managed to maintain it?
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Well, thanks to a piece circulated by SAN Group (a member of SIAA ), I am able to share with you exactly what happened to those brave souls who not only organized, orchestrated, and carried out our fight for freedom, but signed one of the most historic documents of all times: The Declaration of Independence .
They gave us a free and independent America. The history books never told you much of what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn’t just fight the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties much for granted…We shouldn’t!!! So, take a couple of minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots…not much to ask for the price they paid!
• Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured.
• Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
• They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?
• Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
• Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
• Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
• Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
• At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
• Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
• John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
• Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
• Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more.
• Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged:
“For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” “MAY ALL WHO COME BEHIND US FIND US FAITHFUL”
If you had to guess, what vehicles would you say are the most highly sought after by thieves? Jaguar…Land Rover…Cadillac… or maybe even a Mercedes? Try again! According to Property Casualty 360 , it is the Ford F-250, which beat out the Cadillac Escalade in a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute .
“General Motors has put a lot of effort into new antitheft technology, so that may help explain the decline in the Escalade’s theft rate,” says HLDI Vice President Matt Moore. “On the other hand, sales of the Escalade have fallen in recent years, so there may be less of a market for stolen Escalades or Escalade parts.” Thieves love pick-ups, which occupy 4 of the top 5 spots and 6 of the top 10 on HLDI’s list. The HLDI says many pick-up claims involve the theft of equipment from the truck bed. (Claim frequencies are per 1,000 insured vehicle years. An insured vehicle year is one vehicle insured for one year, two for six months, etc.)
Here are your top ten stolen vehicles in the most recent study:
10) Chevrolet Tahoe With a starting asking price of $41,400, the large SUV is involved in 4.4 claims per 1,000 vehicle years. HDLI finds the average loss payment per claim on a stolen Tahoe is $5,367.
9) GMC Yukon Another large SUV that retails higher than some average U.S. salaries is the GMC Yukon. Its starting price is $41,760 and it has been the ninth most coveted vehicle for car thieves during the past two years. Claims frequency: 4.5 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $6,276
8) GMC Sierra 1500 extended cab The starting asking price drops significantly with the eighth spot on HDLI’s most stolen list. It also marks the introduction of large pickups as hot commodities with the criminal element. The GMC Sierra 1500 extended-cab model normally retails for $28,610. Claims frequency: 4.7 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $5,908
7) Chevrolet Suburban 1500 The MSRP for the “very large SUV” is $45,360. Claims frequency: 5.4 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $4,468
6) Cadillac Escalade 4WD Once a regular occupier of the No. 1 spot on this list, the HLDI theorizes GM’s antitheft technology may explain why the Escalade falls to No. 6. The large luxury SUV carries the highest MSRP of the bunch. On average, it will set drivers back $67,290 at the dealership. Claims frequency: 5.5 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $6,508
5) Ford F-350 crew 4WD A very large pickup truck, the Ford F-350 crew with 4WD sells for about $37,370. During the past two years, insurers have paid out more per claim (on average) for it than any other model of vehicle in the Top 10. Claims frequency: 5.6 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $7,517
4) GMC Sierra 1500 crew Another large pickup likely to be “gone in 60 seconds” is the GMC Sierra 1500 crew, which typically retails for $35,885. Claims frequency: 6.0 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $6,366
3) Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 Claims frequency: 6.1 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $6,163
2) Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew The Silverado is the last of four Chevys on the highest claim-rates list, but it actually has one of the lowest average payments per claim. Claims frequency: 6.7 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $5,463
1) Ford F-250 crew 4WD HLDI says theft rates are generally declining due in large part to ignition immobilizers. But that doesn’t explain why the Ford F-250, which has had a standard immobilizer, is tops on this list. Claims frequency: 7.0 per 1,000 Average loss payment per claim: $7,060
…who would have thought?! Around town in the networking scene, nice job by the Council of Insurance Brokers for their latest event, held on the water in Freeport, New York. Always a pleasure to see folks like Al Caputo and Armando Arcila from Buckingham Badler Associates in NJ and NY; Michael Demetriou from Demetriou General Agency in New York; Peter Resnick from Interboro Insurance Company ; Gino Orrino, of Orrino Capital Services LLC in Corona, N.Y, and so many others. One more item before we close: an insurance agent in Hartford, CT, Charlie Schein of Star-Schein, LLC , who happens to be a very dear friend of mine who I have known forever, I was best man at his wedding, we watched each other’s kids grow up, and I’m probably the first one who knows when his wife “…is mad at him for no reason!” as he explains it, was interviewed by Fox Business News on his opinion of teen driving. Charlie was so excited about his interview that I promised I would make him doubly famous by printing his quote here in my column. Per his interview, “… having first-hand experience being the parent of teen drivers, Charlie points out the dual benefits of accredited driver-safety training programs. The insurance companies he works with offer discounts for new drivers who take these courses and teens receive extra training they sorely need. Schein is also a proponent of requiring a teen driver to qualify for the good student discount in order to drive. He explains that insurance companies perceive that students who earn good grades are more likely to make the right choices on the road, resulting in a lower risk factor and reduced insurance rates for the parents.” Well, Charlie, to have your words repeated on Fox News AND my column Face To Face in the Insurance Advocate …well, it just doesn’t get any better than that!
Oh, and by the way, in honor of Independence Day, this column has exactly 1776 words in it!
Well, that’s all that’s happening around town so until next time: Ciao for now!
