Sometimes it is very, very difficult to tap that “heart” emoji. I do not love to read what is so horrifying and real. But I love that you are writing it with such clarity and truth and intelligence. Thank you, with all my heart.
Heather Cox Richardson's summary of the ante-bellum southern perversion of the meaning of our Founding documents does not mention their primary philosopher of slavery: John Locke.
For the past hundred years, and especially since the 1950s, this perverted Lockean understanding of the Declaration of Independence has maintained an uneasy hegemony over the minds of academic scholars.
Then, 15 years ago, I went to graduate school and stumbled across the 1776 congressional definition of "happiness" (in the original May 1776 Independence resolution), instantly demolishing the bogus Lockean argument, because this congressional definition of happiness includes "virtue" (rooted in benevolence -- active concern for the well-being of our fellow humans), and Locke -- a beneficiary of the slave trade who wrote South Carolina's very first slave constitution -- was unique in taking virtue OUT of his definition of happiness.
See " The Declaration of Independence without Locke: A Rebuttal of Michael Zuckert’s "The Natural Rights Republic," at
I read your twitter linked article. Brilliant writing , and, as a long time student and fan of John Adams was not surpised to see that John Adams led the effort to insure that government worked for the "happiness" of the people.
Indeed, John Adams gets neglected. He was "Mr. Independence" in Congress, which is why he deserved a turn as President.
And as President, perhaps his finest moment was his policy of "peace through strength" against France, first building the U.S. Navy to give the imperious French a bloody nose, and then sacrificing his chances for a second term as President to pursue a peace treaty with France, in opposition to the Federalist "war hawks" including Alexander Hamilton.
John Spot on! John Adams was ‘resurrected’ by my friend and classmate David McCullough in his Pulitzer-winning JOHN ADAMS. He did clearly jeopardize his re-election by putting country over self in avoiding war with France. His re-election campaign was badly damaged by Alexander Hamilton’s 78-page diatribe against Adams, which well may have cost him New York and re-election.
David told me that initially he commenced researching a book on the letters exchanged by ex-presidents Adams and Jefferson. When he found Jefferson to be extremely hypocritical, he switched to his John and Abigail blockbuster.
As president, Jefferson insisted on building little river gunboats that were called ‘Jeff’s,’ which proved totally ineffective in the War of 1812. I recall, many years ago, discovering the hypocrisy of Jefferson in Joseph Ellis’s book AMERICAN SPHINX. By contrast, Adams was dour, stubborn, and, in key moments, absolutely brilliant in shaping our country.
P. S. There was no love lost between Adams and Jefferson. On Jefferson’s inauguration, Adams left Washington at 3:30 a. M., stating that there was no convenient later stage coach to get him back to Boston. I believe that he and Trump were the only living presidents who skipped the inauguration of their successors.
However, I have also read the predecessor to David, Catherine Drinker Bowen's John Adams biography and her bio and picture of Adams are truly spectacular. McCollough must have read her as well because he takes up where she left off.
But, Adams early development, life and education is absolutely fascinating in Bowen's Biography.
Sadly, libraries are getting rid of her stuff but keeping McCollough's stuff. I just had my own local library re-acquire her Biography and place it in the teen section. Every teen should read it, especially the girls.
Bowen was a historian long before women were even hired at University. She wrote the book out of pure passion.
I've been inclined to think of Jefferson as a trimmer, never publicly out of step with the collective view of the Virginia aristocracy.
In all fairness, Adams and Jefferson patched things up late in life (as witnessed by Adams' last words on July 4), but in their correspondence, sometimes Jefferson's lack of candor is hard to miss.
Adams is the reason the United States of America exists today. Simple as that. Without him, things would have gone off the rails.
He was the person who nominated, then, worked mightily to get George Washington the supreme commander of the Continental Army, despite the more powerful Hancock wanting the job.
Adams picked the perfect person for that job.......and the rest is history.
Adams was convinced that a southern was imperative as commander of the Continental Army (Washington appeared at the Continental Congress in his military uniform). Virginia was the largest American colony. John Hancock, the biggest smuggler in the colonies, was appalled that Adams supported Washington. Without General Washington, the colonies would not have defeated the British.
Thank you - I'm so excited to read this in depth (post holiday preparations and celebrations!) I am now following you on Twitter. And I'll retweet your article as soon as I can make a clear statement of why I'm doing that. I think you are going to be a very important part of my better-late-than-never understanding of this country of my birth. Blessings,
There was so much that I left out... In the mind of Francis Hutcheson, the pathway to happiness was to obey the two great commandments of Jesus Christ, but Hutcheson never phrased it like that.
For Cicero, going beyond Aristotle, we are all created equal in that we have a natural capacity to become habitually virtuous (with benevolence at the heart of the preeminent virtue of justice), and that is the source of happiness -- but the meaning of the word has shifted. Where the Founders said "happiness," today we would say "well being."
The edification of "happiness," and the comments above I actually feel uplifted and think there just might be potential for democracy to live on. Thank you Mr. Schmmckle, I just followed you on Twitter and am anxious to go there and read more.
Thanks, the natural law really is a beautiful vision of human potential, but we must organize our society correctly to cultivate the individual's innate potential.
Article 5, Section 2 of the Massachusetts Constitution presents some thoughts in that direction:
Thank you John. If I understand your research, (a big if) the key "starting points" are the May 1776 Resolution, further June 1776 steps in Virginia before the July 1776 founding documents partly in reaction to King George's 1775 destruction of his royal "contract" with his colonial subjects? [ With deep roots in the Age of Reason.]
I will read your work more carefully, but thank you for the penetrating analysis.
More or less. The "original contract" (allegiance in exchange for protection) is referenced as a natural-law principle in Sir Edward Coke's all-important report on Calvin's Case (1609). (The eminent legal historian John Phillip Reid discusses the Original Contract, without mentioning natural law, in his Constitutional History of the American Revolution.)
The Original Contract is reaffirmed when every monarch takes their coronation oath.
In October 1775 King George, citing his concern for the "safety and happiness" of all his subjects, formally placed the rebellious colonists out of his protection, formally breaking the Original Contract, which was cited in the May independence resolution (with "reason and good conscience" as the formally correct natural law authorities) for the colonies to "totally suppress" royal authority, and this independence resolution defined safety ("protection of lives, liberties and property") and happiness ("internal peace, virtue and good order").
This was the moment of independence, according to both John Adams and Gordon S. Wood.
Our national birthday is actually May 15, but it appears that Adams and Jefferson colluded to create a myth of July 4.
I suppose my research, with smoking-gun evidence, could be considered the "tip of the spear" in an emerging academic paradigm shift. Right now the Old Guard is resisting.
Persist and persevere - their resistance will strengthen the will to transcend self indulgent ignorance - thank you so much for doing and sharing your research, John!!
John. My recollection is that Jefferson must have had John Locke in mind when, in the Declaration of Independence, he wrote “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Locke, nearly a century earlier had written “Life, Liberty, and estate (property).”
Yes, that's part of the established Lockean explanation, which only makes sense if we conflate property with "pursuit of happiness" and ignore the congressional definition of happiness, in favor of Locke's definition as the utmost pleasure of which we are capable.
The Continental Congress defined happiness as "internal peace, virtue and good order" side-by-side with its definition of safety (not happiness) in terms of life, liberty and property. (Life, liberty and property goes back to Magna Carta.)
The doctrine of "safety and happiness" as the standard for governmental legitimacy goes back to Cicero's De legibus, as I discussed in my article on the original May 1776 independence resolution, here:
It follows from today’s message that the electoral college and the U.S. Senate composition are anti-democratic institutions and vestiges of a state’s rights past as superior to democratic federalism. America must ultimately make a choice between being a federalist democracy where governing philosophy and principles are decided by a one person, one vote with all represented equally and fairly or we will choose a confederacy of States system with a weak central government and each state free to legislate and govern as they wish. We can be one United States of America or we can be each state for themselves. We cannot long survive as a divided nation. Lincoln, one of the founders of the Republican party understood this and made a choice for federalism. The modern Republican party seems bent on redefining itself as the new confederacy party.
MaryOMary: a way to reactivate the "heart"-try going to the top of the page then look to the left of the search bar. You'll see an incomplete circle w/ an arrow @ the end. Click on that. The action refreshes the page. You should be able to get the"heart" to turn red. Occasionally it might take a couple tries. I hope this helps.
“Now, he belongs to the ages.... “ memorializes President Lincoln’s death. I’d add, he belongs to us and to our children.
Tonight’s Letter suggests our republic may soon belong to the ages. Putin and Trump would be thrilled. And all this started with - slavery and the Black wet nurse much loved.
To Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, may God bless her brave and honest heart.
"And all this started with - slavery and the Black wet nurse much loved."
Maybe all this started with lazy white men who prefer not to work and found ways to get work done while sitting on arse?
Same thing is happening today. Rather than the rich white men in our government and the oligarchs in our society doing the work of government, which, is actually a slog and quite difficult, those lazy men want to circumvent all that and sit on arse and still get, always, what they want.
As an exhibit of lazy white men behavior, I offer this from the NY Times;
"In Missouri, Georgia, Ohio and now Nebraska, Republican men running for high office face significant allegations of domestic violence, stalking, even sexual assault — accusations that once would have derailed any run for office. But in an era of Republican politics when Donald J. Trump could survive and thrive amid accusations of sexual assault, opposing candidates are finding little traction in dwelling on the issues.
Political scientists who have studied Republican voting since the rise of Trumpism are not surprised that accused candidates have soldiered on — and that their primary rivals have approached the accusations tepidly. In this fiercely partisan moment, concerns about personal behavior are dwarfed by the struggle between Republicans and Democrats, which Republican men and women see as life-or-death. Increasingly, Republicans cast accusations of sexual misconduct as an attempt by liberals to silence conservatives."
After all, isn’t sexual assault including rape a protected form of free speech in which men declare their right to control women? Surely Justices Kavanaugh and Thomas would agree. Anyone who disagrees is therefore guilty of cancelling the liberty of the rapists and must be silenced. What a time this is.
I cringe to draw this parallel,but it is an image that has stayed with me. Very early in the questioning of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, I understood in my bones that I was watching a ritual all too common--A group of white men gang-raping a black woman, repeatedly, believing in their right to do it and hideous in their enjoyment of what they were doing as pure performance. I am a very old white woman from Stacy Abrams' neck of the woods. I grew up with this all around me, spent my adult life fighting it, and now find it has surfaced in another form in a different kind of ritual where nothing like that should even have air space. It is, indeed, possible that the Great American Experiment just hasn't succeeded.
Thank you, Dr. Richardson, for pulling this history together. It deepens my understanding and sharpens my thinking. That there is still a community of critical thinkers is perhaps the greatest encouragement.
Amen! I still live "in Stacey Abrams' neck of the woods" (along with Nancy below) and can vouch for what you said and the imagery employed. Watching the ongoing spectacle of the embrace of a person like Herschel Walker for public office--the ultimate exercise of "cult of personality espoused by You-Know-Who--is like having to watch a horrible accident in slow motion. I also ask myself, "HOW could we have come to such a pitiable state??" It indeed should not "even have air space", yet here we are. I sincerely hope that over the next few months there will be a realisation, at least as regards Mr. Walker's suitability as a US Senator, within the Republican party here that the man is poison. When a number of the Republican candidates running in the upcoming primaries held a pow-wow here just last week, the universal question was "Where is Walker??", "Why doesn't he ever show up at political gatherings?", "What are they afraid of?", "Why are they keeping him quiet?", and so on. Even though he leads in the polls for now--even over Democratic incumbent Warnock, which I find beyond all manner of comprehension--I think a lot of Republicans here remain to be convinced he should be their Senate candidate. I try and hold out a glimmer of hope that some vestiges of sanity may prevail here come November!
Bruce, we both know why Herschel is being kept under wraps because the mob bosses are afraid that he'll make more insane comments claiming that we can't have evolved from apes because apes still exist, and other gems of wisdom attributed to him. This can't go on forever. Even if he continues to refuse to debate and chooses to stay in the shadows, once the campaigns begin in earnest, Raphael will smile, then bring up every negative point about Herschel; his lies about his class graduation standing at UGA when he quit in his junior year to go pro; his questionable business practices; his residency inconsistencies; his issues with emotional instability; threatening his wife with murder, and more. At that point, only the MTGs will be his cheerleaders, and hopefully the majority of voters will see the real picture. He is being promoted by the same racists who believe that Black people are so stupid that they'll vote for an over-the-hill athlete - a Republican, no less - before they will embrace Rephael Warnock. We must trust that Black voters know when they're being manipulated.
Thank you, Bruce. I still have family about 60 miles NW of Atlanta and I grew up on a mighty pretty piece of deep woods close by. I miss it and sometimes think of coming "home", but I think it's my southern dream of the land--those hills are my bones--and not a thought based on reality. I was proud of some folks down there during the last election and the aftermath but feel something close to despair, though not surprise, at how quickly the darkness returns. And how easily too many friends and neighbors are manipulated. I expect the pandemic and the drug crisis have made it worse. A bunch of people, already feeling worthless, trapped in their houses shooting heroin and smoking crack, nursing their hatred. But the fact is that the hatred was there. The poison that now resides in the GOP. has not had too much trouble using these already damaged and dreadful souls to finish off our world.
That same thought lingered in my mind as I watched Linsey Graham badgering her with a single line of law knowing full well that judicial decisions are not made from a cookbook taken from the shelf of his plantations kitchen shelf. No respect, just lashing way.
Lindsey has so many issues with initially saying one thing, then doing another - i.e., after the insurrection, saying he was "through," most recently saying he'd vote for Justice Brown Jackson, then reneging, after having voted for her just a year ago. Those of us who have never trusted him have to wonder what his fellow Republicans really think. He has to be a worry to them.
Wow, Joan. A terrible new perspective and a painful reminder of how every detail of what we thought we had built is being turned upside down and used to destroy. I'll say one things for these b**tards. They're clever.
Mike, could we update for 21st century by saying lazy...lying...white...men...and...women. Both women q fanatics are up for re-election. When they lose, tfg idjt might repay them by finding a place in his media empire with Devon Nunes. Public service is not their strong suit.
Sandy, you contribute countless wonderful ideas and insights, built on your broad and deep knowledge and experience, and I take pleasure when you take the time to write those insights in cogent, articulate prose. I must admit, though, that these free-association strings of images you sometimes post leave me scratching my head. Perhaps I am stupid. How are we to process a list of images and references--some cryptic, many followed by ellipses--like this one? More enlightenment, please!
Sandy, your comment reminds me of the irony the Senator who presided over the hearing that vetted Clarence Thomas despite the brave and honest heart of Anita Hill would become the President who successfully nominated Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. And I often wonder if this white man is atoning for his past action.
I recall again the wisdom of the tribal matriarchs who decided since all the tribal leadership's actions (including hiring lobbyists) hadn't succeeded, they would start a prayer circle to change the mind of Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA). And lo and behold, the Senator decided not to run for office again.
Mindful Frederick Douglass said (paraphrasing) God didn't answer my prayers until I got up off my knees and started marching, I am convinced our republic needs both unity in prayer for the vision Lincoln saw and successfully fought to keep, and a concerted march upon the media until they speak of nothing other than the true meaning of democracy and its value for humanity as our country's greatest power.
What is breaking the hearts of those of us who still love democracy is the inability to bring together enough senators to protect voting rights on a bipartisan basis. It appears that the Senate, as a body, has become so corrupt or that senators fear more for their safety or value their careers over their patriotic duty or a combination of these. Where is the courage to prevent the subversion of the democratic process? Is keeping the Republican party intact more important than standing up for America? Does this responsibility have to be shouldered by Democrats only when two of our senators care more about their personal interests than their country? This cannot excuse Republicans who might vote otherwise to say it’s not their responsibility too. Most have already cast their lot and washed their hands when acquitting Trump in both impeachments. There is still no excuse although I fear there is no deal to be made before the midterms likely shift the majority of the House or Senate or both. As the child of immigrants who fled Hitler’s Austria, I never thought I would see fascism take over our country. But there it is.
Gary, you ask: " Is keeping the Republican party intact more important than standing up for America?" That is the central point. Their answer would be a resounding yes. Those of the current GQP rarely say it out loud, but they really do believe that their "principles" of white superiority and so called "states rights" to control women, disenfranchise people of color - to dominate - are worth fighting for and "democracy" be damned.
Their "America" is not one where all people have equal rights. Their America is more like the Gilead of the Handmaids Tale. We are at war with our own internal fascism. And they are gaining ground daily. I am no longer convinced that the "Union" will hold. And I am no longer feeling Lincolnesque. Perhaps the American Brown Shirts should have their own un-reconstructed region where bigots can be bigots. Where women will serve men.
They would need to create their own flimsy central government. Several of our Supreme Court "Justices" could be made available for their kangaroo court. We could operate in a loosely allied way. We would keep the military. And all the nukes, of course.
All of the above is just a horrible product of my ever increasing incredulity and fear that America is losing its collective mind. Fanatical religious haters are grabbing power all over certain states and threaten to actually take over our Federal government soon.
This is the time to yell "FIRE" in the theater. In a few short months, the America we believe in may not exist. They may rename it "Republica". America is not trending.
The astounding thing is the fanatical religious haters grabbing power, when the entire central point of Christianity is to love your neighbor as yourself; that hate and Christianity are anathema and diametrically opposed. And it doesn’t matter.
Bill, yes, it's time to yell "FIRE" in the theater. I have been struggling to understand as many of us have those many millions who have gone MAGA or Q or similar. Now up on my reading list is The Authoritarians (available for free download at https://theauthoritarians.org or at very low cost via the publisher, Lulu.com) by Bob Altemeyer, a retired history professor. https://theauthoritarians.org/options-for-getting-the-book/
Just working my way through the book, he has developed scales and done research over four decades. What I am reading is frightening but fits what we are seeing. People high on the RWA (Right Wing Authoritarian -- that applies also to radical communists) scale have been raised to believe and to not question their beliefs with critical thinking. They will not agree that there are contradictions in the Bible when shown them side by side. (I support the love and selflessness that Jesus preached.) Altemeyer's research and analysis seem to be thorough so far.
The people we need to reach are those who have tuned out or been discouraged. Most of the MAGA crowd is beyond reach.
Propaganda is powerful, as an old crone screamed in the dining hall of my assisted living residence “democrats are destroying America’s freedom.” Goebbels would be proud.
Putin is an honest man trying save Ukraine from Nazi's (not a war criminal)
Biden is at fault for inflation (not corporations, who are raising prices while having historic profits).
Trump is tough and strong (not the guy who signed the actual surrender agreement with the Taliban and EXCLUDED the government of Afghanistan).
Trump is a genius (not the guy whose Dad paid for him to be admitted to Wharton (another Ivy with no standards) and then paid for his C in all his classes when he failed each and every one of them by not attending (like George W. Bush at Yale).
well, there you have it. TRUTH (as they say on right wing websites).
Rupert’s version of our world; at least Hitler tried to put a kernel of truth in most of his most heinous propaganda. And who believes that Rupert will tell the MAGAt cult fools about Rick Scott’s republican platform. I would be shocked if the MSM laid out any of those details. Somebody had better…
To be able to create the flower you need to create microfoam, which does taste better than the sea foam you'll get from unskilled baristas because larger bubbles keep the coffee away from your tastebuds and aren't nearly as smooth and rich. Where'd you get the flower image? :-)
One might hypothesize that rich, white men (those in the Senate for example), normed to manipulating people through marketing and the legal system, have no ethics. They also have access to enough money to get elected by lying to the people who want to hear the lies.
People without ethics, do not think about courage at all. It is not that courage is absent, it is that courage does not even exist in that culture.
Only their own outcomes exist, and only their attainment of what they want exists. Courage is like air on the moon to them. Just absent.
Gary….You write my thoughts perfectly. Fear is a strong motivator. From fear of losing power and the perks of Washington to fear of safety for themselves and their family….there has got to be something that leads Republican elected officials (local, state, and Congress) to knowingly surrender their scruples/integrity including courage, and willingly lie to their constituents. And of course, this also applies to the media/propaganda as Jeri references. And lastly to the public whose willful ignorance accepts it all…because trump and his minions “tell it like it is”.
They are seduced by money and power, and the very real prospect of keeping power indefinitely. They no longer try to convince and win voters over with ideas; instead, they seek only to maintain power, by fair means or foul. Mostly foul.
We don't have much time. How do we start a gut-grabbing, fanatical cult based on the true principles of a liberal democracy: real truth, actual facts, one person one vote, and liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness for all, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, religion, or net worth?
Gary - I never thought I would see it either. I have to say - the outcome of the 2020 election was a near miss. I was thrilled that it went our way, but clearly it could have gone the other way, at least the Senate. Trump was his own worst enemy, and can take the blame for most Republican losses. And instead of a post mortem where Republicans rethink their platform, they are instead doing everything they can to rig the next election in their favor. That is pure authoritarianism. Anybody with just an inkling of political savvy knows that a Republican sweep in 2022 probably means an end to the democracy we hold dear. If it goes the way the political pundits think it will, I personally do not know what I am going to do. A whole lot of me says I cannot live in a country like that. I am afraid alot of folks think the same way. Another part of me says to stay the fight. But I am not into futility.
Predictions are silly. But I will give it a go. We might lose the House and actually add a seat or two in the Senate. The House will focus on Hunters laptop and the Senate will try to govern and make sensible laws. A deadlocked Congress. Biden handcuffed. And then the battle of all battles in 2024.
On the other hand, international events may eclipse everything and put Biden in an FDR role...
I’m an old gal, I predict that Rupert will continue his demonization of democracy, calling it “freedom” of course. What I would not have predicted is the MSM getting on the chump bandwagon to such an extent. They are not only predicting a Dem loss, they are helping it along. Unconscionable…
I no longer predict, I forecast. For, alas, prediction requires data and a formula to show proof or probability of being right. Besides, my area meteorologist gets paid way more than I ever did as an academic researcher. 😉
Sandy, I couldn’t agree more and simply would note that while Lincoln’s efforts, in no way, would guarantee acceptance of his worldview, his engaging could help ensure that his thinking at least was being heard and considered.
Yes, yes, Abraham Lincoln was far and away our best president. Our greatest political leader. Young, poor, log splitting Abraham Lincoln knew Kentucky, knew Illinois, knew to debate the great Stephen Douglas, knew his young nation, North and South, and he preserved and saved his nation, saved us, saved the constitution, emancipated our sick South, our stronger slaves - addressed our original sin as a nation, our founders’ sin, the Federalists’ sin, thus creating the incredible Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, straight line. The arc of our progress is found in the rainbow of our people, in sacred miscegenation and growing tolerance, in Ketanji’s beautiful daughters, their admiration of her, their smiles, in her husband’s love of her, in her quiet majesty. Thanks, Barbara Jo Krieger.
Sometimes it is very, very difficult to tap that “heart” emoji. I do not love to read what is so horrifying and real. But I love that you are writing it with such clarity and truth and intelligence. Thank you, with all my heart.
Heather Cox Richardson's summary of the ante-bellum southern perversion of the meaning of our Founding documents does not mention their primary philosopher of slavery: John Locke.
For the past hundred years, and especially since the 1950s, this perverted Lockean understanding of the Declaration of Independence has maintained an uneasy hegemony over the minds of academic scholars.
Then, 15 years ago, I went to graduate school and stumbled across the 1776 congressional definition of "happiness" (in the original May 1776 Independence resolution), instantly demolishing the bogus Lockean argument, because this congressional definition of happiness includes "virtue" (rooted in benevolence -- active concern for the well-being of our fellow humans), and Locke -- a beneficiary of the slave trade who wrote South Carolina's very first slave constitution -- was unique in taking virtue OUT of his definition of happiness.
See " The Declaration of Independence without Locke: A Rebuttal of Michael Zuckert’s "The Natural Rights Republic," at
https://independent.academia.edu/JohnSchmeeckle
I summarized my research on this Twitter thread:
https://twitter.com/john_schmeeckle/status/1497950349549879302
John,
I read your twitter linked article. Brilliant writing , and, as a long time student and fan of John Adams was not surpised to see that John Adams led the effort to insure that government worked for the "happiness" of the people.
Absolutely great writing Mr. Shmeeckle!!
Indeed, John Adams gets neglected. He was "Mr. Independence" in Congress, which is why he deserved a turn as President.
And as President, perhaps his finest moment was his policy of "peace through strength" against France, first building the U.S. Navy to give the imperious French a bloody nose, and then sacrificing his chances for a second term as President to pursue a peace treaty with France, in opposition to the Federalist "war hawks" including Alexander Hamilton.
John Spot on! John Adams was ‘resurrected’ by my friend and classmate David McCullough in his Pulitzer-winning JOHN ADAMS. He did clearly jeopardize his re-election by putting country over self in avoiding war with France. His re-election campaign was badly damaged by Alexander Hamilton’s 78-page diatribe against Adams, which well may have cost him New York and re-election.
David told me that initially he commenced researching a book on the letters exchanged by ex-presidents Adams and Jefferson. When he found Jefferson to be extremely hypocritical, he switched to his John and Abigail blockbuster.
As president, Jefferson insisted on building little river gunboats that were called ‘Jeff’s,’ which proved totally ineffective in the War of 1812. I recall, many years ago, discovering the hypocrisy of Jefferson in Joseph Ellis’s book AMERICAN SPHINX. By contrast, Adams was dour, stubborn, and, in key moments, absolutely brilliant in shaping our country.
P. S. There was no love lost between Adams and Jefferson. On Jefferson’s inauguration, Adams left Washington at 3:30 a. M., stating that there was no convenient later stage coach to get him back to Boston. I believe that he and Trump were the only living presidents who skipped the inauguration of their successors.
Keith, I have read David's good biography.
However, I have also read the predecessor to David, Catherine Drinker Bowen's John Adams biography and her bio and picture of Adams are truly spectacular. McCollough must have read her as well because he takes up where she left off.
But, Adams early development, life and education is absolutely fascinating in Bowen's Biography.
Sadly, libraries are getting rid of her stuff but keeping McCollough's stuff. I just had my own local library re-acquire her Biography and place it in the teen section. Every teen should read it, especially the girls.
Bowen was a historian long before women were even hired at University. She wrote the book out of pure passion.
I've been inclined to think of Jefferson as a trimmer, never publicly out of step with the collective view of the Virginia aristocracy.
In all fairness, Adams and Jefferson patched things up late in life (as witnessed by Adams' last words on July 4), but in their correspondence, sometimes Jefferson's lack of candor is hard to miss.
Adams is the reason the United States of America exists today. Simple as that. Without him, things would have gone off the rails.
He was the person who nominated, then, worked mightily to get George Washington the supreme commander of the Continental Army, despite the more powerful Hancock wanting the job.
Adams picked the perfect person for that job.......and the rest is history.
Adams was convinced that a southern was imperative as commander of the Continental Army (Washington appeared at the Continental Congress in his military uniform). Virginia was the largest American colony. John Hancock, the biggest smuggler in the colonies, was appalled that Adams supported Washington. Without General Washington, the colonies would not have defeated the British.
John - I read your abbreviated piece. This is very interesting indeed! Thank you.
Thank you - I'm so excited to read this in depth (post holiday preparations and celebrations!) I am now following you on Twitter. And I'll retweet your article as soon as I can make a clear statement of why I'm doing that. I think you are going to be a very important part of my better-late-than-never understanding of this country of my birth. Blessings,
There was so much that I left out... In the mind of Francis Hutcheson, the pathway to happiness was to obey the two great commandments of Jesus Christ, but Hutcheson never phrased it like that.
For Cicero, going beyond Aristotle, we are all created equal in that we have a natural capacity to become habitually virtuous (with benevolence at the heart of the preeminent virtue of justice), and that is the source of happiness -- but the meaning of the word has shifted. Where the Founders said "happiness," today we would say "well being."
The edification of "happiness," and the comments above I actually feel uplifted and think there just might be potential for democracy to live on. Thank you Mr. Schmmckle, I just followed you on Twitter and am anxious to go there and read more.
Thanks, the natural law really is a beautiful vision of human potential, but we must organize our society correctly to cultivate the individual's innate potential.
Article 5, Section 2 of the Massachusetts Constitution presents some thoughts in that direction:
https://ballotpedia.org/Chapter_5,_Massachusetts_Constitution#:~:text=Wisdom%2C%20and%20knowledge%2C%20as%20well,different%20orders%20of%20the%20people%2C
Thanks for the link for Ballotpedia
Thank you John. If I understand your research, (a big if) the key "starting points" are the May 1776 Resolution, further June 1776 steps in Virginia before the July 1776 founding documents partly in reaction to King George's 1775 destruction of his royal "contract" with his colonial subjects? [ With deep roots in the Age of Reason.]
I will read your work more carefully, but thank you for the penetrating analysis.
More or less. The "original contract" (allegiance in exchange for protection) is referenced as a natural-law principle in Sir Edward Coke's all-important report on Calvin's Case (1609). (The eminent legal historian John Phillip Reid discusses the Original Contract, without mentioning natural law, in his Constitutional History of the American Revolution.)
The Original Contract is reaffirmed when every monarch takes their coronation oath.
In October 1775 King George, citing his concern for the "safety and happiness" of all his subjects, formally placed the rebellious colonists out of his protection, formally breaking the Original Contract, which was cited in the May independence resolution (with "reason and good conscience" as the formally correct natural law authorities) for the colonies to "totally suppress" royal authority, and this independence resolution defined safety ("protection of lives, liberties and property") and happiness ("internal peace, virtue and good order").
This was the moment of independence, according to both John Adams and Gordon S. Wood.
Our national birthday is actually May 15, but it appears that Adams and Jefferson colluded to create a myth of July 4.
Excellent post, John. The old Locke/Hobbes debate which offers different views of man in nature couldn't be more fascinating today.
Learned a. lot reading this, John.
😯😮😲😮😯 Thank you John. Is this enforceable?
I suppose my research, with smoking-gun evidence, could be considered the "tip of the spear" in an emerging academic paradigm shift. Right now the Old Guard is resisting.
Persist and persevere - their resistance will strengthen the will to transcend self indulgent ignorance - thank you so much for doing and sharing your research, John!!
John. My recollection is that Jefferson must have had John Locke in mind when, in the Declaration of Independence, he wrote “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Locke, nearly a century earlier had written “Life, Liberty, and estate (property).”
Yes, that's part of the established Lockean explanation, which only makes sense if we conflate property with "pursuit of happiness" and ignore the congressional definition of happiness, in favor of Locke's definition as the utmost pleasure of which we are capable.
The Continental Congress defined happiness as "internal peace, virtue and good order" side-by-side with its definition of safety (not happiness) in terms of life, liberty and property. (Life, liberty and property goes back to Magna Carta.)
The doctrine of "safety and happiness" as the standard for governmental legitimacy goes back to Cicero's De legibus, as I discussed in my article on the original May 1776 independence resolution, here:
https://www.academia.edu/resource/work/1479704
It follows from today’s message that the electoral college and the U.S. Senate composition are anti-democratic institutions and vestiges of a state’s rights past as superior to democratic federalism. America must ultimately make a choice between being a federalist democracy where governing philosophy and principles are decided by a one person, one vote with all represented equally and fairly or we will choose a confederacy of States system with a weak central government and each state free to legislate and govern as they wish. We can be one United States of America or we can be each state for themselves. We cannot long survive as a divided nation. Lincoln, one of the founders of the Republican party understood this and made a choice for federalism. The modern Republican party seems bent on redefining itself as the new confederacy party.
Tragic...
...and let's not forget that SCOTUS has been ignoring the Constitution's Federal Supremacy clause in favor of states' rights.
MaryOMary: a way to reactivate the "heart"-try going to the top of the page then look to the left of the search bar. You'll see an incomplete circle w/ an arrow @ the end. Click on that. The action refreshes the page. You should be able to get the"heart" to turn red. Occasionally it might take a couple tries. I hope this helps.
“Now, he belongs to the ages.... “ memorializes President Lincoln’s death. I’d add, he belongs to us and to our children.
Tonight’s Letter suggests our republic may soon belong to the ages. Putin and Trump would be thrilled. And all this started with - slavery and the Black wet nurse much loved.
To Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, may God bless her brave and honest heart.
Sandy, one of your best comments ever – just the pure and simple truth.
My deepest thanks...
"And all this started with - slavery and the Black wet nurse much loved."
Maybe all this started with lazy white men who prefer not to work and found ways to get work done while sitting on arse?
Same thing is happening today. Rather than the rich white men in our government and the oligarchs in our society doing the work of government, which, is actually a slog and quite difficult, those lazy men want to circumvent all that and sit on arse and still get, always, what they want.
Maybe it all starts with lazy....white....men..
As an exhibit of lazy white men behavior, I offer this from the NY Times;
"In Missouri, Georgia, Ohio and now Nebraska, Republican men running for high office face significant allegations of domestic violence, stalking, even sexual assault — accusations that once would have derailed any run for office. But in an era of Republican politics when Donald J. Trump could survive and thrive amid accusations of sexual assault, opposing candidates are finding little traction in dwelling on the issues.
Political scientists who have studied Republican voting since the rise of Trumpism are not surprised that accused candidates have soldiered on — and that their primary rivals have approached the accusations tepidly. In this fiercely partisan moment, concerns about personal behavior are dwarfed by the struggle between Republicans and Democrats, which Republican men and women see as life-or-death. Increasingly, Republicans cast accusations of sexual misconduct as an attempt by liberals to silence conservatives."
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/us/politics/republicans-accusations-women.html
After all, isn’t sexual assault including rape a protected form of free speech in which men declare their right to control women? Surely Justices Kavanaugh and Thomas would agree. Anyone who disagrees is therefore guilty of cancelling the liberty of the rapists and must be silenced. What a time this is.
I cringe to draw this parallel,but it is an image that has stayed with me. Very early in the questioning of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, I understood in my bones that I was watching a ritual all too common--A group of white men gang-raping a black woman, repeatedly, believing in their right to do it and hideous in their enjoyment of what they were doing as pure performance. I am a very old white woman from Stacy Abrams' neck of the woods. I grew up with this all around me, spent my adult life fighting it, and now find it has surfaced in another form in a different kind of ritual where nothing like that should even have air space. It is, indeed, possible that the Great American Experiment just hasn't succeeded.
Thank you, Dr. Richardson, for pulling this history together. It deepens my understanding and sharpens my thinking. That there is still a community of critical thinkers is perhaps the greatest encouragement.
Amen! I still live "in Stacey Abrams' neck of the woods" (along with Nancy below) and can vouch for what you said and the imagery employed. Watching the ongoing spectacle of the embrace of a person like Herschel Walker for public office--the ultimate exercise of "cult of personality espoused by You-Know-Who--is like having to watch a horrible accident in slow motion. I also ask myself, "HOW could we have come to such a pitiable state??" It indeed should not "even have air space", yet here we are. I sincerely hope that over the next few months there will be a realisation, at least as regards Mr. Walker's suitability as a US Senator, within the Republican party here that the man is poison. When a number of the Republican candidates running in the upcoming primaries held a pow-wow here just last week, the universal question was "Where is Walker??", "Why doesn't he ever show up at political gatherings?", "What are they afraid of?", "Why are they keeping him quiet?", and so on. Even though he leads in the polls for now--even over Democratic incumbent Warnock, which I find beyond all manner of comprehension--I think a lot of Republicans here remain to be convinced he should be their Senate candidate. I try and hold out a glimmer of hope that some vestiges of sanity may prevail here come November!
Bruce, we both know why Herschel is being kept under wraps because the mob bosses are afraid that he'll make more insane comments claiming that we can't have evolved from apes because apes still exist, and other gems of wisdom attributed to him. This can't go on forever. Even if he continues to refuse to debate and chooses to stay in the shadows, once the campaigns begin in earnest, Raphael will smile, then bring up every negative point about Herschel; his lies about his class graduation standing at UGA when he quit in his junior year to go pro; his questionable business practices; his residency inconsistencies; his issues with emotional instability; threatening his wife with murder, and more. At that point, only the MTGs will be his cheerleaders, and hopefully the majority of voters will see the real picture. He is being promoted by the same racists who believe that Black people are so stupid that they'll vote for an over-the-hill athlete - a Republican, no less - before they will embrace Rephael Warnock. We must trust that Black voters know when they're being manipulated.
Thank you, Bruce. I still have family about 60 miles NW of Atlanta and I grew up on a mighty pretty piece of deep woods close by. I miss it and sometimes think of coming "home", but I think it's my southern dream of the land--those hills are my bones--and not a thought based on reality. I was proud of some folks down there during the last election and the aftermath but feel something close to despair, though not surprise, at how quickly the darkness returns. And how easily too many friends and neighbors are manipulated. I expect the pandemic and the drug crisis have made it worse. A bunch of people, already feeling worthless, trapped in their houses shooting heroin and smoking crack, nursing their hatred. But the fact is that the hatred was there. The poison that now resides in the GOP. has not had too much trouble using these already damaged and dreadful souls to finish off our world.
How optimistic
An Uncle Tom comparison comes to the mind of White voters: Vote for the house slave or for the field slave? Choose the better behaved.
That same thought lingered in my mind as I watched Linsey Graham badgering her with a single line of law knowing full well that judicial decisions are not made from a cookbook taken from the shelf of his plantations kitchen shelf. No respect, just lashing way.
Lindsey has so many issues with initially saying one thing, then doing another - i.e., after the insurrection, saying he was "through," most recently saying he'd vote for Justice Brown Jackson, then reneging, after having voted for her just a year ago. Those of us who have never trusted him have to wonder what his fellow Republicans really think. He has to be a worry to them.
Very powerful, Dean. The treatment of Judge/Justice Brown Jackson was a reminder of how far we haven't come, and how far we have yet to go.
At least some of us recognize the dog whistles for what they are.
The spectacle you saw is exactly what was happening. We're teetering on the edge.
Zora Neale Hurston once wrote, "Black women are the mules of the world."
Holy Smokes this is a powerful observation!
Joan, what a scary interpretation of "free speech". And, you're right that the two womanizers on the Supreme Court would agree.
You could substitute "womanizers" with "predators" and still be correct.
Joan, in the context of the messages and verbiage of Fox News, well, YES, you are correct. LIBERTY to beat women when and where men want to.
Wow, Joan. A terrible new perspective and a painful reminder of how every detail of what we thought we had built is being turned upside down and used to destroy. I'll say one things for these b**tards. They're clever.
Great point!!
wow!
Mike, could we update for 21st century by saying lazy...lying...white...men...and...women. Both women q fanatics are up for re-election. When they lose, tfg idjt might repay them by finding a place in his media empire with Devon Nunes. Public service is not their strong suit.
Sure. Why not?
Sandy, you contribute countless wonderful ideas and insights, built on your broad and deep knowledge and experience, and I take pleasure when you take the time to write those insights in cogent, articulate prose. I must admit, though, that these free-association strings of images you sometimes post leave me scratching my head. Perhaps I am stupid. How are we to process a list of images and references--some cryptic, many followed by ellipses--like this one? More enlightenment, please!
Enlightenment.
Any time.
Round up all the usual subjects.
White men, Black men... it starts with women..
Black women..
Our Black folks came first... bought and sold.
The Bible got it wrong. Never mentioned color.
One became many.
Tower of Babel... God’s answer.
Natural Selection got it right. God’s plan.
Natural Selection. Evolution.
Inherit the Wind...
The Scopes Trial in Tennessee...
The three time presidential candidate died in the heat.
William Jennings Bryan - Cross of Gold - died 3 days later..
Charles Darwin... evolution...
Clarence Darrow... how long was the first day, Sir?
The trials... the juries.
Bobby Franks. Leopold and Loeb. Cook County, Chicago. Darrow again.
In Cold Blood. Truman Capote.
Life not death.
One survived in San Juan, was released.
Sandy, your comment reminds me of the irony the Senator who presided over the hearing that vetted Clarence Thomas despite the brave and honest heart of Anita Hill would become the President who successfully nominated Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. And I often wonder if this white man is atoning for his past action.
I recall again the wisdom of the tribal matriarchs who decided since all the tribal leadership's actions (including hiring lobbyists) hadn't succeeded, they would start a prayer circle to change the mind of Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA). And lo and behold, the Senator decided not to run for office again.
Mindful Frederick Douglass said (paraphrasing) God didn't answer my prayers until I got up off my knees and started marching, I am convinced our republic needs both unity in prayer for the vision Lincoln saw and successfully fought to keep, and a concerted march upon the media until they speak of nothing other than the true meaning of democracy and its value for humanity as our country's greatest power.
May this Easter bring such rebirth!
Joe was weak. Teddy Kennedy was weak. The senate was - and remains - weak.
Our Greek Chorus is for hire.
We cannot buy tolerance.
Our classiest citizens are Black women. They understand us and themselves - best.
They elected Joe inspired by Joe Knows Us.
James Clyburn was answering a question: put to him in his church by a Black lady. Whispering.
He did not whisper. He got all to get off their knees.
We must do this again and again and again.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is Our Light.
Sandy
Wouldn't that be grand, Rhea.
From your lips to God’s ears, Fred.
What is breaking the hearts of those of us who still love democracy is the inability to bring together enough senators to protect voting rights on a bipartisan basis. It appears that the Senate, as a body, has become so corrupt or that senators fear more for their safety or value their careers over their patriotic duty or a combination of these. Where is the courage to prevent the subversion of the democratic process? Is keeping the Republican party intact more important than standing up for America? Does this responsibility have to be shouldered by Democrats only when two of our senators care more about their personal interests than their country? This cannot excuse Republicans who might vote otherwise to say it’s not their responsibility too. Most have already cast their lot and washed their hands when acquitting Trump in both impeachments. There is still no excuse although I fear there is no deal to be made before the midterms likely shift the majority of the House or Senate or both. As the child of immigrants who fled Hitler’s Austria, I never thought I would see fascism take over our country. But there it is.
Gary, you ask: " Is keeping the Republican party intact more important than standing up for America?" That is the central point. Their answer would be a resounding yes. Those of the current GQP rarely say it out loud, but they really do believe that their "principles" of white superiority and so called "states rights" to control women, disenfranchise people of color - to dominate - are worth fighting for and "democracy" be damned.
Their "America" is not one where all people have equal rights. Their America is more like the Gilead of the Handmaids Tale. We are at war with our own internal fascism. And they are gaining ground daily. I am no longer convinced that the "Union" will hold. And I am no longer feeling Lincolnesque. Perhaps the American Brown Shirts should have their own un-reconstructed region where bigots can be bigots. Where women will serve men.
They would need to create their own flimsy central government. Several of our Supreme Court "Justices" could be made available for their kangaroo court. We could operate in a loosely allied way. We would keep the military. And all the nukes, of course.
All of the above is just a horrible product of my ever increasing incredulity and fear that America is losing its collective mind. Fanatical religious haters are grabbing power all over certain states and threaten to actually take over our Federal government soon.
This is the time to yell "FIRE" in the theater. In a few short months, the America we believe in may not exist. They may rename it "Republica". America is not trending.
The astounding thing is the fanatical religious haters grabbing power, when the entire central point of Christianity is to love your neighbor as yourself; that hate and Christianity are anathema and diametrically opposed. And it doesn’t matter.
Exactly, dear KR!💙
Who doesn’t see that actual Republican Christians are as rare as hen’s teeth.
Bill, yes, it's time to yell "FIRE" in the theater. I have been struggling to understand as many of us have those many millions who have gone MAGA or Q or similar. Now up on my reading list is The Authoritarians (available for free download at https://theauthoritarians.org or at very low cost via the publisher, Lulu.com) by Bob Altemeyer, a retired history professor. https://theauthoritarians.org/options-for-getting-the-book/
Just working my way through the book, he has developed scales and done research over four decades. What I am reading is frightening but fits what we are seeing. People high on the RWA (Right Wing Authoritarian -- that applies also to radical communists) scale have been raised to believe and to not question their beliefs with critical thinking. They will not agree that there are contradictions in the Bible when shown them side by side. (I support the love and selflessness that Jesus preached.) Altemeyer's research and analysis seem to be thorough so far.
The people we need to reach are those who have tuned out or been discouraged. Most of the MAGA crowd is beyond reach.
Propaganda is powerful, as an old crone screamed in the dining hall of my assisted living residence “democrats are destroying America’s freedom.” Goebbels would be proud.
Jeri,
Putin is an honest man trying save Ukraine from Nazi's (not a war criminal)
Biden is at fault for inflation (not corporations, who are raising prices while having historic profits).
Trump is tough and strong (not the guy who signed the actual surrender agreement with the Taliban and EXCLUDED the government of Afghanistan).
Trump is a genius (not the guy whose Dad paid for him to be admitted to Wharton (another Ivy with no standards) and then paid for his C in all his classes when he failed each and every one of them by not attending (like George W. Bush at Yale).
well, there you have it. TRUTH (as they say on right wing websites).
:-)
Rupert’s version of our world; at least Hitler tried to put a kernel of truth in most of his most heinous propaganda. And who believes that Rupert will tell the MAGAt cult fools about Rick Scott’s republican platform. I would be shocked if the MSM laid out any of those details. Somebody had better…
My coffee barista made me a lovely flower on my coffee today. He said he had been practicing for a month.
I have been a coffee hobbyist for 12 years. Only recently did I get the feel for making latte art. We need to be awake these days. ;-)
Kathy. A wonderful two line story. But, what happens next!!!
She drank it.
But it tasted even better than coffee w/o a flower! 🌺
To be able to create the flower you need to create microfoam, which does taste better than the sea foam you'll get from unskilled baristas because larger bubbles keep the coffee away from your tastebuds and aren't nearly as smooth and rich. Where'd you get the flower image? :-)
:-)
Gary:
"Where is the courage"?
One might hypothesize that rich, white men (those in the Senate for example), normed to manipulating people through marketing and the legal system, have no ethics. They also have access to enough money to get elected by lying to the people who want to hear the lies.
People without ethics, do not think about courage at all. It is not that courage is absent, it is that courage does not even exist in that culture.
Only their own outcomes exist, and only their attainment of what they want exists. Courage is like air on the moon to them. Just absent.
Nailed it exactly
Gary….You write my thoughts perfectly. Fear is a strong motivator. From fear of losing power and the perks of Washington to fear of safety for themselves and their family….there has got to be something that leads Republican elected officials (local, state, and Congress) to knowingly surrender their scruples/integrity including courage, and willingly lie to their constituents. And of course, this also applies to the media/propaganda as Jeri references. And lastly to the public whose willful ignorance accepts it all…because trump and his minions “tell it like it is”.
They are seduced by money and power, and the very real prospect of keeping power indefinitely. They no longer try to convince and win voters over with ideas; instead, they seek only to maintain power, by fair means or foul. Mostly foul.
Willful ignorance, and it’s not just a trait of the stupid. Smart people are experts at it too…
Excellent and timely biblical reference, Gary. I, too, am the child of an immigrant who fled Hitler, and share your disbelief that this is happening.
We don't have much time. How do we start a gut-grabbing, fanatical cult based on the true principles of a liberal democracy: real truth, actual facts, one person one vote, and liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness for all, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, religion, or net worth?
Gary - I never thought I would see it either. I have to say - the outcome of the 2020 election was a near miss. I was thrilled that it went our way, but clearly it could have gone the other way, at least the Senate. Trump was his own worst enemy, and can take the blame for most Republican losses. And instead of a post mortem where Republicans rethink their platform, they are instead doing everything they can to rig the next election in their favor. That is pure authoritarianism. Anybody with just an inkling of political savvy knows that a Republican sweep in 2022 probably means an end to the democracy we hold dear. If it goes the way the political pundits think it will, I personally do not know what I am going to do. A whole lot of me says I cannot live in a country like that. I am afraid alot of folks think the same way. Another part of me says to stay the fight. But I am not into futility.
I am an old guy. And I will stay to fight.
Predictions are silly. But I will give it a go. We might lose the House and actually add a seat or two in the Senate. The House will focus on Hunters laptop and the Senate will try to govern and make sensible laws. A deadlocked Congress. Biden handcuffed. And then the battle of all battles in 2024.
On the other hand, international events may eclipse everything and put Biden in an FDR role...
I’m an old gal, I predict that Rupert will continue his demonization of democracy, calling it “freedom” of course. What I would not have predicted is the MSM getting on the chump bandwagon to such an extent. They are not only predicting a Dem loss, they are helping it along. Unconscionable…
I no longer predict, I forecast. For, alas, prediction requires data and a formula to show proof or probability of being right. Besides, my area meteorologist gets paid way more than I ever did as an academic researcher. 😉
Yes, but Meteorologists double as the local movie star now.
:-)
Age and place in life might have something to do with fight or flight.
Today's Republicans would detest Abraham Lincoln.
And Abraham Lincoln would detest them, too.
No. Lincoln would not detest. He wasn’t that type. He would reflect, reason, debate, educate and pray.
Sandy, I couldn’t agree more and simply would note that while Lincoln’s efforts, in no way, would guarantee acceptance of his worldview, his engaging could help ensure that his thinking at least was being heard and considered.
Yes, yes, Abraham Lincoln was far and away our best president. Our greatest political leader. Young, poor, log splitting Abraham Lincoln knew Kentucky, knew Illinois, knew to debate the great Stephen Douglas, knew his young nation, North and South, and he preserved and saved his nation, saved us, saved the constitution, emancipated our sick South, our stronger slaves - addressed our original sin as a nation, our founders’ sin, the Federalists’ sin, thus creating the incredible Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, straight line. The arc of our progress is found in the rainbow of our people, in sacred miscegenation and growing tolerance, in Ketanji’s beautiful daughters, their admiration of her, their smiles, in her husband’s love of her, in her quiet majesty. Thanks, Barbara Jo Krieger.
Sandy, Thank you for your gorgeous portrayal of what truly is worth seeking, worth having, and worth doing.
You're probably right.
Correct.