Quote:
Originally Posted by merrylander
I simple cannot understand why people so revere the writings on the subject of freedom by a man who was quite content to own other human beings. There are people who bear my surname up and down the east coast. I have never found any realtionship in my genealogical research nor do I wish to as some were slave owners. I cannot understand nor condone such a practice. I do have planty of cousins west of the Mississippi River.
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The founders of our nation were undoubtedly both smart and flawed. To me, the biggest indication of their wisdom was in knowing that people, the nation, and the constitution were all inherently flawed and so provided means for the constitution to evolve and change with the times. They also made it difficult for those changes to happen quickly as overreactions to short-term events.
I think the founders would find it ludicrous that people use quotes and ideas and ideals that may have been sensible before the industrial revolution to rigidly guide our politics and philosophies today. Learn from their thoughts and writings, of course. Rigidly adhere to the same ideals? Silly.