Why we have to put up with FOX NEWS

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
- Thomas Jefferson

Edifying experience

Tonight I had the humbling privilege to narrate a piece of music at our high school's fall concert.
The piece was 'A Jefferson Portrait'* - by Elliot Del Borgo. We practiced for at least a month or more. It was challenging to try to count and listen to the band and watch for the director's cues. It was a fun challenge to read dramatically for fluency and expression, and yet be careful not to be over dramatic so as to respect the dignity of the words.

It was a moving experience for me because I love Jefferson's words so much and they are so important and valuable to us, even more so facing such an important election. Several teachers and parents who were there complimented me and of course that felt good. One parent even said that I should consider working in radio- so I had to try not to let myself get a big head.

But the most meaningful part was when a disabled Vietnam veteran thanked me because he felt like we had a government that had become "destructive of these ends," and needed to be altered or abolished. I knew that he blamed our government for the Agent Orange which had destroyed his life and pursuit of happiness. You can blame both Democrats and Republicans for that war (Johnson first, then Nixon). He went on to say that he feared another revolution was on it's way if things didn't change dramatically in the next few months. I didn't ask if he supported McCain or Obama ("leave a tender moment alone" Billy Joel always used to say). I thanked him for his service to our country and agreed with him that Jefferson's writing meant as much or more to us today as 230 years ago.

Just as pastors have to give credit to God for words form the Bible, I know that it was these words and these ideas that have the power, not my reading or our bands performance (although they did a supurbe job). I know it's October, not July but I hope that people will remember and meditate on the meaning of Jefferson's words before they vote on Tuesday- whether they are liberal, conservative, moderate, or undecided.

*In case you follow the link and listen to 'A Jefferson Portrait,' you should know that this is not a recoding of our performance tonight- just a sample from some music company that I found on the web to halp me practice.

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies;...

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Thomas

Found an old etching of Jefferson, colorized it some in PhotoShop,
(I think it reminds me of a Peter Max painting) and finally I cropped it taking into consider the rule of thirds, trying to place his face on one of the four "hot-spots," and having him look into the negative space. It's kind of campy and cartoony, but then, so am I.
This all started because wanted to illustrate one of his quotes on my political blog http://tedscolumn.blogspot.com

"The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it always to be kept alive."
- Thomas Jefferson

inconvenient truth

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences
attending too much liberty
than to those attending too small a degree of it."
- Thomas Jefferson

Letter from a reader

Ted, what are you doing to our nice little hometown newspaper? Do we have to constantly read about how unhappy you are with our Country, our President, and our Beloved God? Please stop insulting the intelligence of your readers by ranting and raving about our great country and our great leaders and our great military! And for you to use passages from the Bible in one paragraph, only to follow through with your hatred towards our Country! I will pray for you. It sounds like you are a very unhappy American! Also, you need to get your facts straight. The history lessons and political rhetoric you constantly bestow upon your readers is such an insult to us! Remember how you believed every word Dan Rather reported? Didn't you learn your lesson then? Enough is enough of these political columns of yours? Can't you find something nice to right about?

Thanks for hearing me out, I just hate to see our sweet little newspaper being dragged down the political road by untruths. From a "Tired Housewife in Ute who is married to a Vietnam Veteran and very very proud of it!"

~Jean Nepper

- Not sure if I want to either reply to her or forward this to the NEWSpaper so that they can run it? Obviously we dissagree about the war and the Bush administration. I am an unhappy American I love my country and fear for it. That's why I write what I write. It's as simple as that.

"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just." ~Thomas Jefferson

I learned my lesson when I wrote about what Dan Rather was reporting about Bush's service record. I wrote a retraction in a later column. But has anybody learned their lessons about Bush/Cheny/Rove/Libby? Come on- which is more un-American? Complaining about the current administration, or not wanting people to be able to complain about it?