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Quote(s) of the Day: Samuel Adams
I just finished reading The Revolutionary Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff, and in the last chapter came across three quotes attributed to Adams that made me a little bit depressed about our situation today. And no, none of them are about beer.
On education (actually the author’s distillation of Adams’ writings, not a direct quote):
“An uneducated people would not long remain a sovereign one.”
On elections:
“If we elect unqualified men, the administration of government will become a mere farce.”
On government:
“If a free inquiry into the measures of the administration of government is a crime,” then he was likely a criminal.
Published in Group Writing
Those are pretty good.
I read another one on government that resonated this morning in my daily C.S. Lewis readings:
“ … it is easy to think that the State has lots of little objects — military, political, economic and what not. But in a way things are much simpler than that. The State exists simply to promote and to protect the ordinary happiness of human beings in this life. A husband and a wife chatting over a fire, a couple of friends having a game of darts in a pub, a man reading a book in his own room or digging in his own garden — that is what the State is there for. And unless they are helping to increase and prolong and protect such moments, all the laws, parliaments, armies, courts, police, economics, etc., are simply a waste of time.”
At least he doesn’t state that there is no hope for change or turning the ship around.
But were the darts manufactured in an environmentally responsible way? Has the Consumer Product Safety Commission ruled on the risks of throwing those pointy things? (Lawn darts have been banned). Was the book transgressive or triggering? Has it been approved? Has the city or county approved using land for the garden? Proper use of compost?
I shouldn’t be snickering, OB, but sheesh . . .
I have always been interested in the early history of our country and marvel at the intelligence behind the Constitution. That soon translates to a sadness at how far we have deviated from the original plans. As Adams has said :
It seems that at this point, we are neither “moral” or “religious”.
I don’t know about moral, but the powers that be certainly are religious. The end of May is ushering in the high holy season of Pride!
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This post is part of the Quote of the Day group writing project at Ricochet. Please join us and signup here for May.