Well, it's President's Day. With all respect to Abe Lincoln, this day always puts me in mind of those rich white men, you know, the 1%, who gathered in Philadelphia in 1776 and 1787 to write the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Their mistrust of the English crown, not to mention each other, made it possible to forge principles and laws that have endured for over 200 years. We are truly fortunate that these men were able to look across an ocean and craft a government diametrically opposite to that of the English monarchy. It's like having a leisure suit as the example of how not to dress. Unfortunately, current politicians, in a misguided attempt to appear patriotic and conservative have taken the names and writings of our Founders in vain.
This selective usurpation of the work of Jefferson, Adams, Madison et al, ignores the fact that these men were as different from each other as are the lawmakers of today. Jefferson and Hamilton hated each other. Federalists in 1787 had the same contempt for the views of Democratic Republicans that Liberals of today have for Conservatives. The term Founding Fathers, when applied to a single idea of how government should work, makes as much sense as using the term "Congress" to define a single legislative direction. The very nature of our form of government demands endless argument and endless compromise. When the Constitutional Convention finally produced a document no one liked, they sent it to the states for ratification.
Here are just a few facts to remember about our Founders:
-Patrick Henry refused to ratify the Constitution. He thought it too "federal". Pat was a big states-rights fan. He would have favored Ron Paul.
-Benjamin Franklin was in favor of inviting all immigrants to America, provided they were industrious. Ben must have needed a lot of lawn maintenance. Anyway, he would have opposed "building the damn fence".
-Thomas Paine, who was born in England, was a firm believer in government's responsibility for educating the population. "It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its subjects." Tom would have hated Texas...and Rick Santorum.
-Thomas Jefferson had an ego bigger than the dome on Monticello yet he said "Conquest is not in our principals. It is inconsistent with our government." George W. Bush must have been sick the day they taught Jefferson at Yale.
The bottom line is that these men, brilliant as they were, had about as much in common with each other as the visitors to the United Nations men's room. To exhume them en masse and parade them behind your candidacy like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, does an injustice to them and the audience you address. Imagine a small group of the "Signers" lined up behind Rick Santorum. As Santorum stormed about freedom of religion, John Adams might have opined in favor of state support of the clergy. Jefferson would have no part of that. He wanted no government-sponsored religious involvement. (Actually, Jefferson wanted no federally sponsored anything.) The conversation would quickly devolve into a shouting match over the powers of the federal government and no one would be able to hear Santorum. (Not an altogether undesirable outcome.)
The politics of the late 18th century was no game for children or poor marksmen. The duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton may have been the most famous dispute of the day but it was hardly unique. Mostly however the weapon of choice was newsprint. Hamilton and Jefferson had a famously fearful feud using newspaper surrogates. (Think Superpac in black and white.) Hamilton's paper continually hinted that Jefferson was none too particular about with whom he shared his bed. Jefferson responded that the same could be said of Hamilton's mother. (Actually they were both certifiable bastards but only Hamilton had the paperwork to prove it.) Politics in a democracy is always nasty, contentious and derisive. That's what happens when everyone has a say. In Russia or Saudi Arabia this problem seldom arises...more than once.
So please, on behalf of the Signers and the authors of the Constitution, on this President's Day, let the Founders rest. Their exhumation during this campaign is undignified. Let's leave God, Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Reagan to their respective places in the universe. Quoting the Bible makes you look sanctimonious; quoting Jefferson makes you look uneducated and quoting Reagan just makes you look silly. If you need a quote, consult Michele Bachmann. She has never allowed actual history to stand as impediment to Fox history.
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