This July 4, let's declare our independence from the Founding Fathers

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/04/july-4-declare-independence-founding-fathers/

No paywall
https://archive.ph/V06Mt

Two hundred and forty-six years ago, Americans did something extraordinary, declaring their independence from a colonial rule enforced from a great distance with the cruel and arbitrary hand of oppression. And now it’s time for us to declare our own independence, from Founding Father fetishism.

This is not a call to repudiate the men who signed the Declaration of Independence and crafted the Constitution. We don’t have to tear down every statue of them (though frankly the statues don’t do anyone much good), or cast them only as villains in our national story.

But we need to liberate ourselves from the toxic belief that those men were perfect in all things, vessels of sacred wisdom that must bind our society today no matter how much damage it might cause.

As we’ve seen recently, the American right has found in the framers an extraordinarily effective tool with which they can roll back social progress and undermine our democracy. It may have found its most ridiculous manifestation in the tea party movement that emerged when Barack Obama was president, when people started prancing around in tricorn hats and every Republican was supposed to have a favorite Founder. But today it has gone from an affectation to a weapon, and a brutally effective one.

*snip*

[Towlie]

1. The Constitution may not be perfect but it's a whole lot better than the course we're following now.

 
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[hlthe2b]

2. How about we not lionize them, take the good and throw out the bad ideas and EVOLVE?

There is nothing "godly" about this group. Some critical thinkers for the times, sure, but hardly prophets and most certainly not infallible. But, today's crowd wants to discard/ignore everything in the constitution. NO! We must use it to evolve.

[LastDemocratInSC]

3. I'm sure that one founder would agree.

An inscription of Thomas Jefferson's words on his memorial in Washington, DC:

“I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”

[Bayard]

4. And this:

"Like other Founding Fathers, Jefferson was considered a Deist, subscribing to the liberal religious strand of Deism that values reason over revelation and rejects traditional Christian doctrines, including the Virgin Birth, original sin and the resurrection of Jesus."

I think he would be aghast at what's taking over our country now.

[Towlie]

5. For better or worse, the inscription is an edited version of Thomas Jefferson's words.

 
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https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/quotations-jefferson-memorial

Original Passage

"I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects. But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors." - Jefferson to H. Tompkinson (AKA Samuel Kercheval), July 12, 1816

[LastDemocratInSC]

6. Excellent information. Thank you.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. K&R

[Polybius]

8. No thanks

I love the Founding Fathers.

[moondust]

9. Direct democracy?