8 Quotes from the Founding Fathers

For Independence Day here are 8 quotes from our Founding Fathers plus a video.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/07/8-quotes-from-the-8-founding-fathers/

8 Mindful Quotes From The 8 Founding Fathers. + Bonus Video.
A quote from each of the Founding Fathers.

1 ) “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” ~Thomas Jefferson

2 ) “Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security” ~Benjamin Franklin

3 ) “If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve?” ~ John Adams

4 ) “Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” ~George Washington

5 ) “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” Patrick Henry

6 ) “In Republics, the great danger is, that the majority may not sufficiently respect the rights of the minority.” ~James Madison

7 ) “There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” ~Alexander Hamilton

8 ) “Those who own the country ought to govern it.” ~John Jay

*Bonus Quote: “Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day. ~Thomas Jefferson

Bonus: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson shared one of the most epic friendships in history. This video does something to communicate the incredible connection these two giants shared. Both died on the 50th anniversary of America’s Independence, July 4th 1826.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gKRZRWV7U4s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

If you've not watched the HBO mini-series "John Adams", you should. I'm pretty sure that's where the above video comes from.

I watched it a year ago or something like that. I remember feeling an overwhelming spirit of remorse for what we have turned into and how we have genuinely trampled on the spirit that founded this country. Adams, Jefferson, Washington...none of them really wanted to be politicians at all. They loathed the idea of being President. And after they served (the key verb being SERVED) their country, they went back to being farmers and the like. There was no elite.

Adams spent years away from his family and his beloved wife Abigail as he went back and forth to try to persuade the decadent French to lend money to the new republic.

 

The spirit has changed because the context has changed. There is no longer a vast, unspoiled, and unpopulated land stretched out before us. It's explored, heavily tapped, and occupied by many people who wield much more powerful technology.

 

...
9) Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Unknown

 

Nothing in your statement yields any reason to be whatsoever why that spirit should be different.

 

What allowed America to become a great nation was the spirit and law of the Constitution... which have eroded over the years from lust for political power and greed on many fronts.

 

And the real strength of America was in the 1900's with the growth of incomes and wealth of the middle class. How we keep the strength of the middle class (strength = income) is the challenge of the future.

 

if one is born and forced to fight for survival early on, you get one kind of spirit.

if one is born and does not learn how to change his diaper even when he/she is in his 20s, you have a totally different spirit.

 

who are these "WE"?

 

Scat is correct. The center of the Spirit of our Forefathers is in the Constitution. Ignore that, and you get what we have today.