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by bagicide stayed 10 months too long on May 24th, 2009
Thomas Jefferson was a very astute man. I don't think either party has a lock on protecting or destroying the Constitution. Both have been guilty many times. I think what is really destroying it is a constant drip of irresponsibility by the citizenry.
Every time someone sues someone in the hope of getting rich, and says it isn't hurting anything because it will only take money from bloated insurance companies, the country and the Constitution take a hit. Every time insurance companies (and these decision are made by people with names and faces, not faceless companies) rob patients, hospitals and doctors to make a huge profit themselves, the country and the constitution take a hit. Every time citizens are selfish and refuse to live up to their duties, the country and the constitution take a hit. Never forget, WE are the country and the constitution. They are only as good as the people who live and die by them.
by RC loves ice cream on May 24th, 2009
No, liberalism is what is trying to prevent the second from actually becoming the first. They've always been the primary defenders of the constitution.
by Anonymous T. Jackson on May 24th, 2009
To say that "liberalism" is responsible is dangerous. It is the landed and moneyed elite that have been regulating the masses since the time of the Sumerians. We escaped to an unoccupied continent about 200 years ago but they have just completed rounding us all up and reducing us to indebted wage-slaves again. Enjoy!
by Old School on May 24th, 2009
Only if you have an extremely bizarre definition of "liberalism" (as many people do nowadays)...;-D...
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http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=144
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http://www.amazon.com/Big-Con-Washington-Hoodwinked-Economics/dp/0618685405/
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http://www.amazon.com/Free-Lunch-Wealthiest-Themselves-Government/dp/1591842484/
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http://www.amazon.com/Perfectly-Legal-Campaign-Rich-Everybody/dp/B000CDG8N8/
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http://www.amazon.com/Wrecking-Crew-How-Conservatives-Rule/dp/0805079882
by Temple.U.college.student on January 30th, 2010
"liberalism" with a lower case "l" does not break these "chains"; this is a world view all about freedom. Liberalism with a capital "L" (also known as "Progressivism") broke the "chains" by legally stealing the fruits of my labor to give to those who perform little to no labor.
by andycasanova on January 30th, 2010
No. Progressives see the Constitution as a living document. They seek to break the chains by evoultionary change rather then revolutionary. It is time for the liberals to expell the progresives from the democrat party as they have eroded their core values.
by Don Gorgeous George on May 24th, 2009
Maybe a little, but I think it's more the right wing that is breaking the chains.
by Moongrim on May 24th, 2009
No.
Conservatism has already removed hundreds of links of such chains.
Liberals are just trying to bring back some sanity, and the Conservatives are crying foul because they like not having such chains.
http://dkosopedia.com/wiki/Examples_of_Republican_hypocrisy_on_moral_values
by Eidelweiss on May 24th, 2009
I think the chains have already been broken.
by ConservativelyLiberal on May 24th, 2009
Nope.
by mailbagger on February 10th, 2010
Yes, liberalism (progressivism) is big government and big government is NOT restrained government. Jefferson wanted a small, well regulated government, not a large government and a well regulated populous. We need to return to the rule of law. Where is it written that Lehman Brothers should be allowed to fail and the rest of the finical sector is given large sums of the people’s money?
by Darrin Knode on February 10th, 2010
Modern "liberalism" has nothing to do with the sentiments of real liberalism. So I would agree that "liberalism" has been destroying these chains. The modern liberal is nothing but a repackaged conservative - who has no love for individual liberty and a sickening attachment to communitarian obligation and duty to others. Liberalism properly understood, died in America and the rest of the western world, a long time ago. Unfortunately, its enemies prevailed.
by playdoo on March 11th, 2010
Jefferson forgot the greatest enemy of the people ... apathy. Every state that ever existed and failed on this earth wasn't ruined by criminals or government but by the apathy of its citizens.. America or any state functions in the supreme when its citizens are of purpose . Corruption can not exist but either though the will of the majority to allow it or the apathy of the social good from the majority. The indignant citizen is the best citizen of the state and for the state BUT ONLY IF HE HAS THE TRUE INTEREST OF SOCIAL GOOD. Indignant citizens bound the powers of government and send a clear message. Some however hide behind outrage and agenda . Is it the far left?......yes It is the far right? .....yes . Both have no interest of the other or for that matter for the majority which lay inbetween their rigid idealogy. Their idealogy is more important then any exception to curcumstance and the indignation is not of injustice but impotence to inflict their idealogy on others. Unfortunely these are the people who get into government and set up power structures to say mildly enforce their idealogy . If the liberals were so liberal they would use technology to include free votes on everything and if the conservatives don't believe in over reaching government and the freedom of the indivual they would endorse the very liberal idea of one person one vote on anything that affects the citizens of the state. But lets face it will never happen and not because of the government. I suspect apathy would rule the day
by jfermiller on April 29th, 2010
The quote is mistakenly attributed to Thomas Jefferson. As Ayn Rand was fond of saying: "Check your premises".
"The Jefferson misquotation appears in April 2000 in an essay, “Rule by Brute Force,” by Steve Kubby of the American Medical Marijuana Association."
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/the_two_enemies_of_the_people_are_criminals_and_government/
"He did employ the phrase "chains of the Constitution" at least once, however, in the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798: "...in questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution..."
wiki.monticello.org/...php/The_two_enemies_of_the_people
by chipperoni on July 3rd, 2011
Thomas Jefferson actually never said that. It's one of those bogus quotes that nobody can find in his papers that floats around the internet, along with many others falsely attributed to the founding fathers these days. It's the equivalent of those chain letters that claimed Microsoft was paying $200 for every e-mail forwarded and other such nonsense. If you consider the quote carefully, it really doesn't sound like something he would have written simply because he was a better writer than that. Abraham Lincoln has an interesting quote about fooling people. You should take a look at that. In answer to your question - no.
by Lindsey on May 24th, 2009
Yes and no. It depends on if you're asking about personal rights or fiscal policies. I believe we're moving towards greater individual rights, while at the same time enslaving ourselves with higher taxes for the government to dole out the fruits of our labor to those they deem fit. The first is an improvement, as no man should judge the life or choices of another, so long as he is not directly impacted by it. However, the second is government-forced thievery.
Do you feel the same way? You may be a Libertarian.
www.lp.org
Where is Parris Island?
by Answerbag Staff on February 1st, 2011
| 2 people like this
Where can you find the Statue of Liberty?
by Answerbag Staff on January 31st, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Is censorship progressive or regressive? Defend your answer.
,.
by einsteinwasright0116 on January 28th, 2012
| 2 people like this
What is the mileage from Scottsdale to Tombstone, Arizona?
by Answerbag Staff on January 31st, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Is the reason the US is unable to compete with other countries that the American working poor make too much money?
by MrX on February 2nd, 2012
| 1 person likes this
You're reading Thomas Jefferson said, "The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." Is liberalism breaking the chains?
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Comments
yea--blaming the government too often makes people think they're 1) exempt from responsibility and 2) worse, powerless!
by overeducated on May 24th, 2009
Wow! Well stated. You are so right. I am gonna copy that and use it somewhere. Beautifully said.
by Goobertelli on January 30th, 2010
Wow! Well stated. You are so right. I am gonna copy that and use it somewhere. Beautifully said.
by Goobertelli on January 30th, 2010
Thank you
by bagicide stayed 10 months too long on January 31st, 2010
At what point do those who realize this get to reset where we are? America is in decline because Our government has been twisted by us the people into saying "it's ok, If you don't want to pull your weight in this country, everyone else will pick up the slack" or to the insurance companies "It's ok to rob your patients as long as you told them you would do it in fine print in the first place" or to the Sue happy person,"You are right to sue for that hot coffee, they didn't warn you it was hot!"
When is enough enough and we the people MAKE the government stop allowing people take not responsibility for what they do (or don't do)?
by Anonymous on March 16th, 2010
Well, to start off with, when we start doing the research on these guys and holding them accountable for what they do. One of the reasons I really like Fox News is because they have congressmen and senators on TV every night that I never even heard of when I was watching the "mainsteam" media. We actually get to see who these guys are and what they stand for. I'm also a fan of Project Vote Smart, because you can actually see what these guys vote for, what they believe in and how often they actually show up for work.
by bagicide stayed 10 months too long on March 16th, 2010