I've always liked Thomas Jefferson!
Published Tue, Feb 3 2009 3:31 PM
My dad sent this in e–mail. I don't know for certain about the John Kennedy quote, but I have seen it attributed to him. I've added updated notes to the Jefferson quotes, based on what I could find about them.
I've always liked Thomas Jefferson!
John Kennedy once said to an 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 (attributed)
“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 (attributed)
“No freeman shall be debarred the use of arms (within his own lands or tenements).”
— Thomas Jefferson
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
— Thomas Jefferson (attributed)
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
—Thomas Jefferson
Very Interesting Quote -- 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.”
Doesn't this sound eerily familiar to what is happening in America today?
Yes dad, it does indeed. Except that it's not the private banks that are doing it to us, it's our own Congress and their creature the Federal Reserve.
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conservativenorthwest responded with: Maybe it's the generation...
 | Maybe it's the generation of our parents that value these quotes enough to send them as e-mail instead of all feel good "happiness" junk I get from friends and co-workers.
I hope you don't mind if I send the link to my father. :-) |
Angel responded with:
 | shocking actually how relevant this all is Perri! |
David responded with:
Stanford Matthews responded with:
 | Posts like this one continue to remind me of another passage the credit for I cannot recall right now.
Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Gee, is there a connection between the troubles we face and our failure to place adequate importance on the topic of history? By 'we', of course, I refer to the country as a whole. |
Perri Nelson responded with: Learning from history
 | Stanford,
The passage you refer to is from George Santayana. David has a corollary to it. “In a democracy (”rule by mob”), those who refuse to learn from history are in the majority and dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance.”-third world county’s corollary to Santayana’s Axiom |
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