Why do people justify their ideology based on what the founding fathers envisioned for this country?
Lets just say guys like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were really very intelligent and sought to establish a great country with documents such as the constitution. Why do we idealize them to the point where we base our ideologies on what we believe they would have wanted?
1.) None of us knew any them personally. Even US historians disagree on many issues pertaining to these figures in terms of their intents, characters, and even their very actions. Yet many Americans today interpret the constitution so strictly that you would think they themselves new these men intimately.
2.) We do know that many of them engaged in what is now considered "human trafficking" (slavery). Furthermore, they also drafted laws that were designed to benefit the elite classes defined by net worth, race, sex and social standing. I don’t think we should demonize these figures, I just don’t know why so many believe that these original framers should inspire the reasoning behind American policy today. I mean, doesn’t there at least come a point where it’s smart to reexamine the way the system was set up, given that guys like Jefferson had sex with his slaves (which today constitutes rape). Do Russians say that Stalin was a great guy, overlooking the harsh policies he instituted toward certain groups?
To put it another way, Mao Zedong did a great deal to make China into the country it is today (a very powerful country). But he was, by no means, a saint. In the future, should the Chinese look to what they think Mao Zedong would have wanted 200 years after his death in order to make policy decisions? Is that practical, logical or even really possible?
Why do people justify their ideology based on what the founding fathers envisioned for this country?
Culture, ethics and ideas are ever changing and what may have seemed okay back then is now frowned upon. Back then, everyone owned slaves, it wasn’t uncommon, and very few people (save the slaves) thought that it was immoral simply because they were seen as a lesser class of human. It was their way of life.
But the very idea of freedom is what inspired many to seek independence. Democracy isn’t great, and will soon exhaust itself, but it is the best form of government we have.
In my personal opinion they type of government they gave us wasn’t perfect but it was definitely a step in the right direction.
–Sam
The founding fathers are only puppets that god used to make his kingdom on earth… so i would say stick to what they said and meant.
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Because I am successful, happy and free
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Because so many Americans are stupid.
Is that breaking news?
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Beeccaaussee…. that’s what founded our country….. you are so misinformed, try reading the constitution.
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I don’t.
Honestly, if I cannot be paid reparations (which, mind you, I don’t want to be), because of what my forefathers and mothers went through, why should I follow rules of what worked almost 300 years ago?
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Everything you say could be used against you. look at several quotes by the founding fathers and look at how all or most are used by both parties to justify their ideology.
I believe documents like the constitution should evolve with the times.
The Founding Fathers couldn’t have as much vision as to know what problems or issues we would be facing today and trying to guess it from those documents i think it’s crazy.
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What the framers created, is the most productive and most fair system the world has ever seen.
What I don’t understand is we have seen what Socialism has done to other countries….so why in God’s name would Liberals want to change what we have?!?!!!
REVOLUTION IS BREWING!!!
http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/illin...
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Because the founding fathers laid the groundwork for the greatest country in the civilization of mankind. For that alone, they deserve some respect. The model they created has stood the test of time against greedy corrupt politicians unlike any other in the world. We’ll get through this flirtation with socialism as well and get back on track and be a strong as ever.
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I think it’s because so many people recognize that the Founding Fathers, while certainly flawed, did and created something no other nation had ever done. In our effort to preserve our democracy, we want to make sure we don’t lose sight of those goals. That said, we do need to recognize that some things have changed so significantly–and beyond what 18th century minds could conceive–that we need our own visionaries as well.
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This is one of my favorite quotes about the founding fathers. I admire and respect their vision and intelligence. I am proud to be an American.
"When President John F. Kennedy welcomed forty-nine Nobel Prize winners to the White House in 1962 he said, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
President Jefferson did not rape his slaves…. After his wife died, he had an affair for many years with one slave who he had set free.
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1 Just like today I lived through Clinton Reagan and Starting with Ike but I was a baby.
It sounds like how you all talk about Obama like you know him and most haven’t even read his Socialist books.
2 You cannot judge their actions by modern times that is improper and stupid.
Obama Relatives sold other Africans to America so Obama is worse then these guys if you want to bring that up. Selling your own people is as low as you can get. Much worse then buying strangers to me.
3 Whats your point we have the Constitution to serve to keep Americans Free and that is all we need to know about them.
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They were right to only allow land owners to vote They have a Vested interest.
Has letting immegrants and children vote helped America.
If so prove it to me.
The women who wants reparation then says not really.
Get it from your African Families like Obamas that sold you to strangers.
They do it because some people try to twist the meanings of words in the constitution to suit their own agenda. The 2nd amendment is a good example of this.
I’ll go with the system they set up. No one is offering anything better, especially Obama.
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where does it say in the constitution that raping, and slave holding is ok, i don’t look at the people i look at what they wrote, and it is very powerful in ensuring the people’s rights, so yes we should hold on very tightly to the constitution on which we were founded because when it was written america flourished and was considered the greatest country in the world, it’s when we look away from the constitution, and take away the rights of the people that we fail
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Most Americans would not even ask this question, since they live in the most free and wonderful country in the world….due, for the most part, to the wise men who were framers of our Constitution. They managed to see into the future, in many cases, and rule in ways that protected the majority of our citizens. The amendments were designed to change what doesn’t work. I don’t idolize those men who set us up quite nicely, but I do appreciate their intellect and foresight. That’s why I’m free to answer your question.
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Mr. Wordy. Nice handle. After reading your endless nonsense, I must say you described yourself perfectly.
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The libs think the Constitution is a living breathing document. Sorry it is not.
It is a guide to how America is to be run. It is like the libs interpret the 2nd to say that only criminals can have guns and civilians cannot. Again sorry wrong again.
The 2nd was so Americans can defend themselves against this government. And the way Hitler I mean obama is going we will need to do just that.
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Culture, ethics and ideas are ever changing and what may have seemed okay back then is now frowned upon. Back then, everyone owned slaves, it wasn’t uncommon, and very few people (save the slaves) thought that it was immoral simply because they were seen as a lesser class of human. It was their way of life.
But the very idea of freedom is what inspired many to seek independence. Democracy isn’t great, and will soon exhaust itself, but it is the best form of government we have.
In my personal opinion they type of government they gave us wasn’t perfect but it was definitely a step in the right direction.
–Sam
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A lot of people are doing bad decisions when they base their ideology on the founding fathers. You see, the majority of the the forefathers were classic liberals, by today standards they would be known as a Libertarians. George Washington was against establishing political parties. Yet, you cannot base them together as a single group that they were elitists in some sort. Some of them favored centralized government, while others like Jefferson favored State rights. Yet, you state that Mao Zedong is not a saint, but he worshiped by the whole nation. Go visit Tiananmen Square, there is a huge picture frame of him hanged on a wall. We don’t see that stuff here in the States. Also, you should be proud that these framers set strict laws upon the government. Jefferson lobbied for a Bill of Rights, they don’t have that in China. Why? He did care, he was part of the revolution. Sure, he might have committed acts of adultery, but that is not our business, likely it is irrelevant to make a fuss about it. Lastly, it is this unique document that inspired other nations to take drastic measures to enact their OWN constitutions. We set an example here at home, the Constitution still applies to us, we just need to uphold/obey it once again.
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