Jefferson Memorial the Next Target for Appeasement

[autigeremt 6,569]

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-thomas-jefferson-confederate-statues-20150624-story.html

[aujeff11 6,243]

Our Constitution allowed slavery to exist for a minimum of one generation so lets wipe that out too while we are at it. This is getting ridiculous.

[WarTim 3,456]

Way past ridiculous. But so is liberalism.......

[lca408 366]

There's a significant difference in memorializing a group of men who actively rebelled against the Federal government and Union and fought for the preservation of slavery as opposed to a man who owned slaves and certainly held white supremacist views, yet also was loyal to the nation he helped create, served as Secretary of State, Vice President, President for 2 terms, authored the Declaration of Independence and the bill for religious freedom in Virginia (which went on to influence Madison and those who wrote the Bill of Rights) and did a great deal to advance the US into the nation it would become.

The Jefferson Memorial museum contains plenty of interpretive displays which explain both his accomplishments and his shortcomings on the great moral question of slavery. Monticello also does an awful lot to show the realities of slavery there. I'm not aware of any modern interpretation of Jefferson by anyone that does not accurately address the slavery issue or the Hemmings scandal. If his role in history is properly presented in the correct context, why the uproar?

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

One thing T.J. recognized is the importance of the size of gov't which is overwhelming us today.

He said "My reading of history convinces me that most bad gov't results from too much gov't."

[icanthearyou 4,462]

One thing T.J. recognized is the importance of the size of gov't which is overwhelming us today.

He said "My reading of history convinces me that most bad gov't results from too much gov't."

I love Thomas Jefferson but, he expanded both the power and size of the Federal Government as President. I think the real lesson of his Presidency is, do not fall in love with your ideology to the point that you become an ideological idiot and, the fact that you compromise you ideology does not mean you should completely abandon it. As examples, the Louisiana purchase was brilliant, suspending foreign trade was not. Many of Jefferson's quotes should not be taken out of the context of his own actions or, be used as absolutes.

I think the real brilliance of Jefferson is not found an any attempt to define him by today's political partisanship but, to recognize his recognition that times, attitudes, circumstances change. He saw the future (like most liberals) but, he did not feel compelled to move so quickly as to completely disrupt society in getting there ( a hallmark conservative principle, IMO). He had a deep respect for democracy and the concept of people who are self-governed. I think he truly defined the belief that the past should not govern the present and, the present should not attempt to govern the future.

[icanthearyou 4,462]

My favorite line from the story:

"no one has ever asked for it to come down but,"

Seems that some of us want to help CNN "make up" the news.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

I'm sure T.J. would appreciate your comments.