A Cautionary Wish

Judicial power ought to be distinct from both the legislative and executive, and independent upon both, that so it may be a check upon both.
—  Thomas Jefferson
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On This Day In:
2016	Slogging
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2015	Memorial Day – 2015
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2014	I Resemble That Remark
2013	Long Range Exploration
2012	UBI
2011	Opportunity

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Unseen Here, Too

I have not observed men’s honesty to increase with their riches.
—  Thomas Jefferson
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On This Day In:
2016	Criticized Anyway
2015	Sometimes The Truth Hurts
2014	All Agreed, Say “Aye”
2013	Two Books, Two Movies
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2012	God’s Requirements
2011	Greater Purity

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The Press Is NOT The Enemy

To demonize the press, to characterize it as not just mistaken but malign, is to lay the groundwork for repression.
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The enemy in any democracy is not dissent, from either within or without.  Dissent, in fact, is essential.  The enemy is dishonesty, ignorance, indifference, intolerance.  The ability to hold journalists accountable has never been greater, and we take legitimate criticism as a challenge to do better.  Attempts to suppress, dismiss and control, on the other hand, we understand as exactly what Thomas Jefferson warned against.
—  Nancy Gibbs
Editor of Time Magazine
From her editorial: “Jefferson’s Warning to the White House“, dtd: 13 February 2017
[Thomas Jefferson’s comment was that given the choice of government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, he’d choose newspapers over government.  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2016	It Ain’t Easy
(Leap Year 29th)	Or Try To, Anyway…
(Leap Year 29th)	Circles Within Circles
2015	A Series Of Funerals
2014	And Your Point Is?
2013	Infinitely Care
2012	In My Room
(Leap Year 29th)	Stingray – TV Series Review (This is my most popular post since starting my blog – hands down! It still draws hits almost every week. The hits seem to come mostly from Central Europe. I guess the show must be in syndication there.)
(Leap Year 29th)	A Single Thread
2011	Lyrical Mixture
	Teaching = Translating

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In Defense Of A Free Press

The tumults in America I expected would have produced in Europe an unfavorable opinion of our political state.  But it has not.  On the contrary, the small effect of those tumults seems to have given more confidence in the firmness of our governments.  The interposition of the people themselves on the side of government has had a great effect on the opinion here.  I am persuaded myself that the good sense of the people will always be found to be the best army.  They may be led astray for a moment, but will soon correct themselves.  The people are the only censors of their governors: and even their errors will tend to keep these to the true principles of their institution.  To punish these errors too severely would be to suppress the only safeguard of the public liberty.  The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the people is to give them full information of their affairs thro’ the channel of the public papers, and to contrive that those papers should penetrate the whole mass of the people.  The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.  But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them.  I am convinced that those societies (as the Indians) which live without government enjoy in their general mass an infinitely greater degree of happiness than those who live under European governments.  Among the former, public opinion is in the place of law, and restrains morals as powerfully as laws ever did any where.  Among the latter, under pretence of governing they have divided their nations into two classes, wolves and sheep.  I do not exaggerate.  This is a true picture of Europe.  Cherish therefore the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention.  Do not be too severe upon their errors, but reclaim them by enlightening them.  If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, judges and governors shall all become wolves.  It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions; and experience declares that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the governments of Europe, and to the general prey of the rich on the poor.
—  Thomas Jefferson
Letter to Edward Carrington
16 Jan. 1787
[All emphasis, italics, bolding and underlining were added by me and do not appear in the original.  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
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2013	A Fist Full Of Confusion
2012	Teaching Faith
2011	The Heart Of Terror
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Me Too

I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
― Thomas Jefferson
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On This Day In:
2015	A Proper Price
2014	Well Hard
2013	Because I Can
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2012	Why Bother?
2011	Peculiar Notions

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Why I’m Scared Of November

We in America do not have government by the majority.  We have government by the majority who participate.
―  Thomas Jefferson
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On This Day In:
2015	I Can Tell Too
2014	In Hand
2013	No Fear
2012	Comic Books
	Keeping The Peace
2011	You Still Have To Pay For It

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I Like Dreaming

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
―  Thomas Jefferson
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On This Day In:
2015	Importance
2014	Unearned Humility
2013	Science Is Trial And Error
2012	Franklin’s Creed
2011	First Steps
2010	Home Ill…

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