The evolution of The Patriot (1996 to present)

“Men are just kids with more expensive toys.” I’ve heard that thought expressed a dozen different ways. It is, I think, one of those “truths” that are self evident. At the age of sixty-four, like most men my age, I’ve wound my way thorough the normal list of cars, motorcycles and boats (and, come to think of it, women). I’ve enjoyed them all.

My favorite toy, though, was not, strictly speaking, a toy at all. It was a printing press, and my first one was not mine, it was the Army’s. But I used it as a toy of sorts, printing unauthorized excerpts and photos from Playboy for unauthorized distribution to my Special Forces compatriots in remote Vietnam A-camps. Later, after I’d retired, I bought one for myself and used it to antagonize local politicians (or at least so delude myself), printing a legal pad sized newsletter grandiosely called “The Delaware County Democrat.” That was a lot of fun, so much so that I decided to go it one step further. That’s when The Patriot came into being.

The main impact of The Democrat was the discovery that I was not the lone malcontented rabble rouser in Middletown, U.S.A. Taking stock of the situation, I recognized that with my production skills (from keyboard to camera ready copy) and help from some very skillful local writers, that I could publish a tabloid sized newspaper for not a whole lot more money than some men spend on a weekend trip to Talladega or Las Vegas.

No sooner said than done. The first issue of The Patriot (chosen because of the proud and venerable history of that name in the annals of American newspapers) came out in 1995, and continued through March, 1996, when I discovered the promise of the internet, and the ease of net publishing.

The Patriot was first published online in April, 1996. By 1999, The Patriot was one of the largest privately owned opinion websites on the internet, featuring regular monthly articles by multiple writers and one of the largest and most active independent political forums on the internet. To enhance the speed of the site and provide the best possible service, The Patriot resided on its own private server.

In February, 2005,the private server crashed and burned. Shortly thereafter, my long neglected health did likewise, as I suffered a couple of strokes and a heart attack, all of which were attributable in one degree or another to the fifteen to eighteen hour days involved in maintaining such a diverse site.

I’ve spent most of the last three years recovering my health and tempering my ambitions. After stewing for many months on how to rebuild The Patriot Archives, and recognizing the difficulty of the endeavor, I finally decided to concentrate only on my own work. I apologize to all our past contributors, but I am simply unable to recover and organize the hundreds of articles and essays involved.

I’ve chosen to continue The Patriot in a blog format, which offers the easiest way of publication/organization and the easiest way for readers to add their comments and criticisms.

To old readers, I’d like to welcome you back to The Patriot. I promise you that while my health is still somewhat shaky, my pen is sharp and I’m still just as irascible as ever. To new readers, welcome to The Patriot, and feel free to add your comments and criticisms.

For earlier articles, please visit our archives.

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