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December 31, 2013
Thought for the Turn of the Year
to live in a country as rich, diverse, and beautiful as ours. One that allows the Robertson family and Ellen DeGeneres to live their lives freely, and to make a living without fear of reprisal for simply being who they are, and for believing what they believe.And as some among us seek to cleanse the world of sound bites and speech that hurt our feelings and sensitivities,
maybe we can reflect on Thomas Jefferson’s great words on the subject: “It does me no injury for my neighbors to say there are 20 gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my legs.” - - Lee Habeeb
Posted by gerardvanderleun at December 31, 2013 10:29 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
Jefferson's words are a fine sentiment, and maybe an fine ideal. Never seen it.
Apparently the worshippers of other gods must be compelled by taxation to pay for abominations, compelled by law to be as servile as the state demands, compelled by law to deny the clear instructions of their deities.
In real America, Jefferson is wrong; has always been wrong; and, I believe, will always be wrong. The delusions of the Founding Fathers regarding human nature are part of our current crisis.
Posted by: ErisGuy at January 1, 2014 5:21 AM
No, the Founding Fathers were quite clear on the drawbacks and foibles of human nature. That's why they established a government that divided responsibilities among three branches and the several states. Compromise was built in to the system from day one; nobody gets everything they want all of the time. It worked well for over 200 years, survived crises that would have destroyed less resilient systems, and laid the groundwork for the most widely prosperous nation the world had ever seen. The current crisis is the culmination of a long, deliberate effort on the part of the left to subvert American institutions of government, culture, and education in such a manner as to short-circuit the built-in checks and balances.
Posted by: waltj at January 1, 2014 7:39 AM