Not what Thos. Jefferson had in mind…

A friend of mine read yesterday’s piece on freedom of speech, powergrids, etc and after reading about the Pelosi-Claybrook bill, Hillary’s remarks and the adventures up in Canada which do not seem so far removed from what we see moving toward the American mainstream, she considered that a government increasingly leaning toward the suppressing free speech and the creation of laws meant to diminish rather than enhance the liberties of it’s citizens was perhaps not what Thomas Jefferson had in mind. She sent these along, wondering if today’s public school students are ever exposed to our founding fathers, beyond their noble portraits and document quotes.

“Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers, too plainly prove a deliberate, systematic plan of reducing [a people] to slavery.” –Thomas Jefferson: Rights of British America, 1774. (*) ME 1:193, Papers 1:125

“When patience has begotten false estimates of its motives, when wrongs are pressed because it is believed they will be borne, resistance becomes morality.” –Thomas Jefferson to M. deStael, 1807. ME 11:282

“Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience [has] shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce [the people] under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.” –Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence, 1776. ME 1:29, Papers 1:429

“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.” –Thomas Jefferson: his motto.

“If ever there was a holy war, it was that which saved our liberties and gave us independence.” –Thomas Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes, 1813. ME 13:430

You can read more Jefferson on Politics and Government here.