Sunday, April 30, 2006
Who cares how we quote him, Jefferson is dead .
Noted historian John F.['ng] Kerry, who endeavors to become #44, bring us this made up quote from #3.
Every year I spend the Fourth of July in Western Massachusetts and treat myself to the print edition of a newspaper that makes the Atlanta Journal Constitution look like a mouth piece for the Republican Party. This lovely publication makes it into this weeks Steyn column.
Maybe I should send this information from the Jefferson Library and this column along to the Eagle with a copy of my letter to the editor they ignored last year.
Maybe the Massachusetts education system has
other priorities.
Actually, no. He got it from Thomas Jefferson. "This is not the first time in American history when patriotism has been distorted to deflect criticism and mislead the nation," warned Sen. Kerry, placing his courage in the broader historical context. "No wonder Thomas Jefferson himself said: 'Dissent is the greatest form of patriotism.' "
Close enough. According to the Jefferson Library: "There are a number of quotes that we do not find in Thomas Jefferson's correspondence or other writings; in such cases, Jefferson should not be cited as the source. Among the most common of these spurious Jefferson quotes are: 'Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.' "
Did Kerry's speechwriter endeavor to point that out? "Hey, boss, diss ain't a Jefferson quote."
"Yeah, that's right. Dissent -- a Jefferson quote. Shove one in around the fifth paragraph, but snap it up, will you? I got a fitting for my new even-more-buttock-hugging yellow lycra cycling shorts in 20 minutes."
Every year I spend the Fourth of July in Western Massachusetts and treat myself to the print edition of a newspaper that makes the Atlanta Journal Constitution look like a mouth piece for the Republican Party. This lovely publication makes it into this weeks Steyn column.
Indeed, America's hardboiled newsmen can't get enough of the Thomas Jefferbunk. The Berkshire Eagle used it as the headline for last year's Fourth of July editorial. Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press thundered: "We need to stop slicing this country in half, and saying those who support this act or this politician are 'good' Americans, and the rest are not. Sometimes 'dissent is the highest form of patriotism.' I didn't make that up. Thomas Jefferson did."
Maybe I should send this information from the Jefferson Library and this column along to the Eagle with a copy of my letter to the editor they ignored last year.
Maybe the Massachusetts education system has
other priorities.
