We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
American lawyer, politician, third President of the United States, and Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, was born on this day in 1743. (died 1826)
That’s “Creator” with a capital “C.” Don’t argue with history, even when you don’t like it.
On this day in 1943, the 200th anniversary of his death, the Jefferson Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. Asute readers will remember that, just a few more weeks than thirty years ago, I proposed to my bride under the cherry blossoms at the Memorial. A year later we were in the audience on July 3 (celebrating both my birthday and the birthday of our nation) to hear President Reagan speak.
We didn’t make it up to DC to see the cherry blossoms this year. Last year we took an impromptu drive up I-95 to see them in full bloom. We were in Alexandra last week for a reception but didn’t venture across the Potomac. In fact, I’m pretty sure we didn’t even see the Potomac.
I digress.
There are many things I miss about living and working in Washington, DC. Events like the above mentioned Reagan speech at the Memorial, being able to check out the Smithsonian any time you liked for free. The Metro…when it was working and not plagued with current problems. I certainly don’t miss the traffic, or the cost of living.
But I lived in the DC area in the late 1980s and the last years of the Reagan Administration. Those were great days for a young conservative to be in DC.
It’s easy to make fun of DC, and of Congress, or of anyone in the government that you don’t like. And, yes, the city is plagued with problems. It’s bloated, it’s bureaucratic.
There are people there who are trying to do the right thing. They certainly have an uphill battle.
Your job, and mine, is to take a serious look at the people we elect to go there. If your congresscritter is a part of the problem, you have the option to replace them.
Jefferson also said:
If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour?
That’s all I’ll say about that.
Except to say that I wish I’d read this quote by Jefferson a long time ago.
Politics is such a torment that I advise everyone I love not to mix with it.
There’s probably a lot of Jefferson’s writings that I haven’t read. But currently, I’m partial to his singing.
This from Hamilton:
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