Thomas Jefferson Truths

[Donald Aquilano]

Some say that Thomas Jefferson was one of the wisest men in the history of our nation. John Kennedy once said to a assembled group of scholars in the White House, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

The quotes below could prove his point.



“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe .” Thomas Jefferson





"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” Thomas Jefferson





“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.” Thomas Jefferson





“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” Thomas Jefferson





“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.” Thomas Jefferson



“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” Thomas Jefferson





“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” Thomas Jefferson





In light of the present financial crisis, it's interesting to read what Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

“Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”



What happened......to our Country?

[HarveyJ]

You *****ed and moaned about the right to bear arms without actually bothering to use them for the purposes specifically outlined in the 2nd Amendment?

That's my guess as an outside observer...

[Donald Aquilano]

You *****ed and moaned about the right to bear arms without actually bothering to use them for the purposes specifically outlined in the 2nd Amendment?

That's my guess as an outside observer...

My guess is you don't really understand the 2nd Amendment. The Supreme Court has ruled that the right to bear arms extends behind a well regulated militia.

[Poker]

Sure hope HarveyJ gets this ban sorted...

[acronym007]

It is fascinating to read some of the things these guys like Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain wrote. So many quotes and yet, the more, they are still relevant in todays age and time.

[TheLegendaryJP]

Honestly, just seems like alot of common sense to me, which in tyurn shows how messed up the world is that common sense is viewed as rare.

[jberryhill]

the right to bear arms extends behind a well regulated militia.

And just what are you reaching for back there, bd?

[acronym007]

Rare, no, spoken well in a different era, yes. Common sense, maybe but not certainly not common in practice. Two people can say the same thing and one can fit the words better(eloquence), wouldn't you agree?

[TheLegendaryJP]

Rare, no, spoken well in a different era, yes. Common sense, maybe but not certainly not common in practice.

I think is common sense that I would agree.

[jberryhill]

I think some definition of "common sense" includes not making stuff up and saying that Thomas Jefferson said it.

That's a direct quote from Ben Franklin, by the way.

[Gerry]

That's a direct quote from Ben Franklin, by the way.

Lordy, you Philly people.

I think some definition of "common sense" ...

Thomas Paine. Got a copy of that liberal garbage around here somewhere.

Perhaps the first terrorist manifesto.

[TheLegendaryJP]

I think some definition of "common sense" includes not making stuff up and saying that Thomas Jefferson said it.

That's a direct quote from Ben Franklin, by the way.

[Donald Aquilano]

I think some definition of "common sense" includes not making stuff up and saying that Thomas Jefferson said it.

That's a direct quote from Ben Franklin, by the way.

I didn't make any of this up but just for fun why don't you tell us which quotes you think are made up.

[fab]

And just what are you reaching for back there, bd?

"The first thing we do," said the character in Shakespeare's Henry VI, is "kill all the lawyers."

[jberryhill]

I didn't make any of this up but just for fun why don't you tell us which quotes you think are made up.

BD, it's obvious you didn't make them up, because they have correct spelling and grammar. You made it clear previously that you haven't even read the Constitution.

You copied them from a recycled list that's been circulating for ages.

You think the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which runs Monticello (take a look at the back of a nickel sometime), might have a clue about what he did or did not say?

http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki...uch_government

Quotation: "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."

...

Earliest known appearance in print: 1913[1][2]

Earliest known appearance in print, attributed to Jefferson: 1950[3]

Other attributions: John Sharp Williams

Status: This exact quotation has not been found in any of the writings of Thomas Jefferson. It bears some slight resemblance to a statement he made in a letter to John Norvell of 14 June 1807, "History, in general, only informs us what bad government is."[4] However, the quotation as it appears above can definitely be attributed to John Sharp Williams in a speech about Jefferson,[5] which has most likely been mistaken at some point for a direct quotation of Jefferson.

Several are listed here:

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors...son-quotes.htm

Summary of the eRumor:
A forwarded email with the several quotations from Thomas Jefferson relating to the economy, democracy and government.

The Truth:
According to the "Jeffersonian Cyclopedia" published in 1900 by Funk and Wagnalls and edited by John P. Foley, some of these are true and some are not found or misquoted.


The problem is, BD, the habit of uncritically believing and spewing crap that you are told, without bothering to think for yourself, check things out on your own, or having any concern for actual facts - all while calling it "truth".

As long as it came in a "forward this to your friends" email, or was posted on some "Hatriot" web site, then it's "true".

"The first thing we do," said the character in Shakespeare's Henry VI, is "kill all the lawyers."

Hey, that's really funny. Telling a lawyer "kill all the lawyers". That's just a freakin' laugh riot there, Fab.

Here's a hilarious video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFqs-NT5S6k

Oh, btw, Thomas Jefferson was a lawyer.

[Gerry]

BD, it's obvious you didn't make them up, because they have correct spelling and grammar.

[fab]

BD, it's obvious you didn't make them up, because they have correct spelling and grammar.

Originally Posted by jberryhill View Post
BD, it's obvious you didn't make them up, because they have correct spelling and grammar.

Odd how Tas' spelling and grammar doesn't seem to bother you!

[jberryhill]

Odd how Tas' spelling and grammar doesn't seem to bother you!

If Tas is defending himself against an accusation of posting made-up quotes about Thomas Jefferson, I'll be certain to look into that.

However, the question at hand was BD thinking I had accused him personally of making up the quotes. Of course BD didn't make them up, and I was backing him up on that.

Today's vocabulary builder phrase, gang, is "non sequitur". Is there a "Tas" in this thread?

[fab]

However, the question at hand was BD thinking I had accused him personally of making up the quotes.

Accusing personally is the issue here. If the quotes are inaccurate then they should be corrected. Since none of us new TJ personally, it is quite obvious that he was quoting from some source.

[jberryhill]

Accusing personally is the issue here.

Reading really is fundamental, Fab.

I think some definition of "common sense" includes not making stuff up and saying that Thomas Jefferson said it.

Someone simply made up a mess of those "quotes". I did not say BD made them up, and did not at the time believe he made them up. I was generally stating that "common sense" includes not making stuff up.

You see, there is quite the little cottage industry in making stuff up, sending it around via email, and having it posted on websites and uncritically accepted by people who do not understand that critical thinking is a process of evaluating information.

Yes, of course it came from a "source". All of the following "facts" bandied about through email whispering campaigns came from "sources":

- Trig Palin is not Sarah's son

- Barack Obama swore into the Senate on a Koran

etc. Yes, Fab, people make crap up, send it out by email and post it on blogs, and then it has a "source". There are reams of "internet folklore" that have sources.

You don't seem to understand that there are ways of separating fact from crap. Have all of those Hamas members that BD was warning us about a couple of weeks ago finally made it to the US with that "migration assistance"? No - because it was crap.

So, because BD said, in response, that he didn't make up the quotes, I wanted to assure him in no uncertain terms that I am utterly confident that he did not make up the quotes.

But just because there is a "source" for something is no excuse for uncritically passing along crap and calling it "truth". I can copy and paste crap from a website that says the Holocaust didn't happen, and I will have a "source". Is that okay?