Today is Thomas Jefferson's birthday. He, more than any other Founding Father, was jealous for the rights of the people; and his legacy has paid for that conviction. Our Establishment squirms at the thought of him. Since he did write the Declaration of Independence, he has to be honored, but those who have imperial ambitions would like to shove him over to the side. Thus, his birthday is not widely observed, and his memorial in Washington is kind of set over to the side -- not set in the Mall like those of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.Those who value their liberty, however, honor his memory; because in his heart raged the fires of revolution. "I swear eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the minds of men." Yet, his was a constructive activism. He had nothing to do with writing the Constitution (he was ambassador to France at the time) but while he had serious reservations about the Constitution, he was not an Anti-Federalist. In later years, he vocally supported the Constitution against those who would subvert it.
He didn't even want to be remembered for the fact that he was the third President of the United States; perhaps because the Louisiana Purchase and other actions tested his values.
Thomas Jefferson will not be widely honored today, but he will be two days from now, for surely his spirit infuses all of the Tea Party rallies and protests against a federal government spun out of control. He wanted that the government be afraid of the people, not the people of the government. "Eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty."
1 comment:
You make a number of good points about Mr. Jefferson.
While he may not have always wanted to defined by all his actions, certain things he did and said were historical in nature and he stood up for the proper ideals when it was most important to do so.
He certainly has his place in history, although not as celebrated as some of this contemporaries
Post a Comment