Who was Thomas Jefferson...Food for thought

[Card Shark]

Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very earlyin life and never stopped.

At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor.

At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.

At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.

At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.

At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.

At 23, started his own law practice.

At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.

At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America " and retired from his law practice.

At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.

At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence .

At 33, took three years to revise Virginia 's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.

At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.

At 40, served in Congress for two years.

At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.

At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.

At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.

At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of the Republican Party.

At 57, was elected the third president of the United States.

At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size.

At 61, was elected to a second term as President.

At 65, retired to Monticello.

At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.

At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.

At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams.

Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff.

A voice from the past to lead us in the future:

John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of thebrightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe ." -- Thomas Jefferson"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."-- Thomas Jefferson

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."-- Thomas Jefferson

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." -- Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." -- Thomas Jefferson

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -Thomas Jefferson

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and beararms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny ingovernment."-- Thomas Jefferson

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas whichhe disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."-- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802: "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our libertiesthan standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

[KimbaWLion]

Thomas Jefferson would NOT be a happy man if he could see things now...
He is 3rd of my list of favorite founding founders behind George Washington and Benjamin Franklin...
Abraham Lincoln while NOT a founding father would be not be very happy either...

These people were brilliant and could foresee the future, they were so AMAZING. Why can't ALL our current politicians look to within themselves
to look back and see how things should be done...

[luckydog]

its because now most of them think of themselves instead of the common people!!

[Card Shark]

its because now most of them think of themselves instead of the common people!!

Very True!!!

[yose]

Now thomas jefferson would be studying two new languages, spanish and chinese.

[RaymondV]

What has always surprised me is the insight and awareness that the Founding Fathers had about corrupt government and over bearing government policies.
Many of the quotes you see today from them were about that and the things that they thought made government bad for the people.
But what has surprised me more is the fact the Founding Fathers did not include in the Constitution, a way to get rid of bad politicians that do nothing for the people that vote them into office.
We should have the option of voting these clowns out of office, not just voting them in.
Once they are in, we are stuck with them for the duration of their terms, and then they usually just lie and BS their way into re-election.

[Card Shark]

What we need is a new Amendment that states:

First any policies passed by our Government also apply to members of the Government.

Second, no elected Government officials, past and present, will receive pay, retirement pay or benefits unless the Country's budget is in balance.

With these two policies in place I believe not only would we only have people running for office that, like our founding fathers, truly love this Country and only want what is best for it, but we would also see current and past Government officials extremely motivated to do what is best for America.

I truly love my Country and it absolutely breaks my heart and infuriates me to see what is being done to our great Nation.

[SteveFury]

There's also the fact that Jefferson, along with a handful of other people risked their lives, their families and wealth by establishing a Continental Congress.

[beachcat]

wow , Thomas Jefferson was truly a wise man. Hopefully at some point The right track can be re assessed.