John Adams quote for today

[Bonhomme Richard]

“All that part of Creation that lies within our observation is liable to change, even mighty states and kingdoms are not exempted. If we look into history, we shall find some nations rising from contemptible beginnings and spreading their influence, until the whole globe is subjected to their ways. When they have reached the summit of grandeur, some minute and unexpected cause commonly affects their ruin, and the empire of the world is transferred to some other place. Immortal Rome was at first an insignificant village, inhabited only by a few abandoned ruffians, but by degrees it rose to a stupendous height, and excelled in arts and arms all the nations that preceded it. But the demolition of Carthage (what one would think should have established it in supreme dominion) by removing all danger, suffered it to sink into debauchery, and made it at length an easy prey to Barbarians.”

John Adams, Oct. 12, 1755 in a letter to his cousin Nathan Webb.

[merbex]

1. Don't you wish that just a tiny fraction of today's so called leaders

were as well read as the Founding Fathers?

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. Yeah, that and also a little courage. n/t

[bleedingheart]

3. Americans don't value education anymore...it is the get rich quick

mentality that has suffused our culture.

Sad but true....

Men like Mario Lemiuex are valued here in Pittsburgh but ask a child or and adult who Jonas Salk was and they would stare at you dumbfounded but Salk has had a more profound influence on that person's life.

[hansberrym]

4. John Quincy Adams was no slouch either. If only the neocons

had any sense of the source of the greatness of our nation we would not be in this mess.


http://www.thisnation.com/library/jqadams1821.html

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. The amazing thing is that Adams was only.................

20 years old when he wrote this letter.
I really think TV has "dummed" the nation down to a frightening degree.