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Jefferson's words continue to ring true
Lettter to editor
lettereditor

Editor, One of the greatest statesmen this country has ever known is Thomas Jefferson, who lived from April 13, 1743, to July 4, 1826. He died 190 years ago, but his wisdom still lives on.

Here are some of his quotes that are as valid today as they were then.

“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”

Welfare is creating a culture of dependency, taking away the initiative of those who receive it.
 
“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.”

Forty-seven percent of Americans are receiving government handouts, which is a way to keep the people under the government’s control and make them unproductive.
 
“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.”

The federal government has accumulated $19.3 trillion of debt, or $64,000 for each American, putting our children in debt for the government’s wasteful spending.

“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”

The Constitution limits government, yet the present government has become too powerful in areas where the people do not need. It has too big a hand in big business and corporate welfare, as well as religious institutions and foreign relations. At the same time, it almost blatantly neglects the interests of the people.

“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”

Our Founding Fathers put the Second Amendment in the Constitution in order for us — as individuals — to protect ourselves against a power-hungry government, which it has become.

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.”

The collapse of Lehman Brothers — a sprawling global bank — in September 2008 almost brought down the world’s financial system. It took huge taxpayer-financed bailouts to shore up the banks, bringing about the worst recession in 80 years.
 
Our political elite have disregarded the warnings of the past, bringing our country close to being a Third World country. If it’s not reversed now, our children will live under a tyrannous government with no freedoms.
 
Len Calderone
Midway

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