Inscription in the Jefferson Memorial. I remember seeing this personally

[mike1963]

a few years ago and it brought tears to my eyes, literally.

It applies to so much of what's happening right now.
Sorry can't paste any of it, it's a picture...

http://www.esb.utexas.edu/ulrich/photos/usa/dc/jeff4.htm

[hang a left]

1. That is beautiful and profound.

I just ordered 3 books about Jefferson. The Jefferson Bible and two others that have his writings and letters in them. I can't wait for UPS.

[Columbia]

2. Have you read American Sphinx?

[hang a left]

4. No, I have not. What is it about?

[Columbia]

14. Another Jefferson book

Examines a lot of the complexities and contradictions within his life. Good read and gives you a good perspective of the period.

[hang a left]

18. Well I will add it to my "to read" list.

[rawtribe]

3. here it is

I am certainly 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.

[hang a left]

7. well that was really nice of you rawtribe.

and a belated welcome to you.

[mike1963]

8. Thank you rawtribe, I was too lazy to type it. And welcome to DU!

:D

[rawtribe]

13. You're welcome.

Have you been to the Jefferson Digital Archive?

http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/

[hang a left]

15. thanks. cool link.

[mike1963]

16. Wow. Thanks for that link, I will be spending some more time there.

:D

[JohnOneillsMemory]

20. "Calamity is our best physician." Great Jefferson quote from here.

I enjoyed surfing the Jefferson Archive and found this:

"The happiness of governments like ours wherein the people are truly the mainspring is that they are never to be despaired of. When an evil becomes so glaring as to strike them generally, they arouse themselves, and it is redressed. He only is then the popular man and can get into office who shows the best dispositions to reform the evil. This truth was obvious on several occasions during the war, and this character in our government saved us. Calamity our best physician." --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, 1785. Papers 7:630

[Sinistrous]

12. Source of the quote:

Letter to Samuel Kercheval, written at Montecello, July 12, 1816.

[orwell]

5. Fat Tony

Why don't we send a copy to Fat Tony Scalia...

O

[Faygo Kid]

6. Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, FDR - has Bush visited any Memorial?

Has he even heard of these guys? They must be spinning in their graves. Wouldn't it be great to have a president who could leave their kind of legacies? Why aren't our current generations coming up with that person? (Let it be Kerry. Please.)

[mike1963]

10. I suppose Chimpy has heard of them, but I do wonder if he's ever actually

pondered their words. I have to doubt it. That visit I paid to the Jeff memorial, the Lincoln monument, white house and all was something I had wanted to do for years. Had been to D.C. many times before but never actually made time to see them personally until then. I highly recommend it to anyone who can manage.
:-)

[knight_of_the_star]

19. I doubt it

And I bet that he wouldn't get the FDR memorial. I did. Same with the Lincoln one. I can bet money that the George W. Bush memorial will be a foot-tall tin statue of chimpy covered in pidgeon shit.

[Bridget Burke]

22. He visited the Jefferson Memorial in July of 2001

He & wifey "dropped by" & he shook hands with the tourists. I seem to remember that visitors were told to clear out--both for security & so "selected" fake tourists could be hustled in for the photo op.

Here's a link to the photo (warning--whitehouse.gov!):

www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/07/images/20010702-12.html

Can't find a link to the stories about the "real" tourists being hustled out.

[Sinistrous]

9. That quote provides a potent rebuttal to the advocates of

strict construction of the Constitution.

[Gman]

11. Here's another one the fundies will go nuts about

[hang a left]

17. I love that.

I wonder what he is referring to when he says "The holy author of our religion." and "One code of morality for men....."

[lcooksey]

21. The Jefferson Memorial website has more

The National Park Service has pretty good websites for all the memorials it is in charge of. Go to www.nps.gov

The Jefferson Memorial is at http://www.nps.gov/thje/home.htm

[NewJeffCT]

23. Great quote - Sir Ian McKellan

Openly gay Sir Ian "Gandalf" McKellan read it on Bill Maher's show a week ago and got a good round of applause.

[nostamj]

24. and here is the "Bush Memorial"....

[Viking12]

25. Here it is