Great Quote

[Ratzo]

This was on the Internet;

America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we Falter and lose our Freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

                     "Abraham Lincoln"  

[Richard S]

And here is another of Lincoln's quotes along the same line:

"At what point shall we expect the approach of danger?  By what means shall we fortify against it?  Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow?  Never!  All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.  At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected?  I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us.  It cannot come from abroad.  If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.  As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."

[size=13]Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum, of Springfield, Illinois, January 27, 1838, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Rutgers University Press, 1953 (Roy P. Basler, editor), Volume I, p. 109. [/size]

[doubletapMike]

Thank you both for the enlightenment!
Mike

[sslater]

Another great source of memorable quotes is “Thomas Jefferson on Democracy”.  I found it in paperback at a used book store for 50 cents!  Between 1776 and 1821, you should see how his view of the judiciary changed.  Bottom line - he didn't trust 'em.

Jefferson's epitaph, written by him with an insistence that only his words and "not a word more" be inscribed, reads,
"Here was buried
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence
of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom
& Father of the University of Virginia"

No wonder he and Lincoln are carved into the side of a mountain.  

[doubletapMike]

I was and still am a great fan of Thomas Jefferson. His views, that the government that rules least rules best, is unsurpassed. Jeffersonian Democracy is a simple, easy to understand concept of "One man, One vote." It is something that many Americans can relate to in these times of complex global & Financial issues. I sometimes wish he were alive today. His clarity of vision could certainly be of good use.  
As P.J. O'Rourke once said," The question is not how does government work, But rather, How do you get it to stop!"
Many small towns in rural Vermont practice this type of democracy where they all get together and vote whether or not they can afford a new firetruck, or should spend the money on two new school busses instead. It's very impressive to see in action.

[theirishguard]

The demos believe in less government...theirs! They want us covered up in their rules because we are all stupid and can't figure things out for ourselves. Of course they have tried to dumb down the educational system for years. It is they who will destroy us from within.
Tom

[Aglifter]

Let me clarify to say that I'm a Jeffersonian/Libertarian who doesn't believe in giving up on the drug war, but the GOP, especially since they passed the Patriot Act, w/o a sunset provision, and w. the "right" to monitor library records w/o a court order, isn't doing all that well on individual rights either

[doubletapMike]

I think we need to be very wary of any erosion of our liberties and rights in the name of security and patriotism. It can be a very slippery slope. We must exercise much care and vigilance in these area's. We want to be safe AND free.  That is a delicate balance to maintain. Wiser men than us have found it a Herculean task.
Mike

[theirishguard]

Our founding fathers really knew what could happen and warned against it.
Tom

[dfsutton]

The demos believe in less government...theirs! They want us covered up in their rules because we are all stupid and can't figure things out for ourselves. Of course they have tried to dumb down the educational system for years. It is they who will destroy us from within.
Tom

  
I'm sure that's what every democrat thinks when he wakes up in the morning. "How can I make America stupider and easier to control?"  Just like I'm supposed to believe that every Conservative only cares about money.  Why don't we just get past the asinine stereotypes and buzzwords and have a real political discussion.

[theirishguard]

It appears that in the last several years that our elected demos really don't care about us and the country only themselves and getting relected. They are the ones who want more gun control and then don't want to punish the bad guy so they can add more gun laws. I don't want to call all the great elected demos bad but there must be about a half dozen good ones. They really just want socialism here in the US.
The American idea of rugged individualism has no place in a socialistic society. To them the American way and ideals are what is wrong with this country and world.
They don't believe the constitution and the bill of rights should be as written but should change with the times.
Now I know you are not like that, however, the leaders in the demo party have now shown their true stripes.
Tom