Yes, folks, the reason we have societal problems today is because we have not quite completely embraced theocracy. The stupidity is bad enough, but Mildred, let me cue you in on a little secret. MADISON NEVER SAID ANY SUCH THING. It is in none of his papers, letters, accounts of his remarks or mentioned in any scholarly biography. It was made up out of whole cloth by the religious right freakshow, and it's been out there as a fraud for a long time (nice editorial work, Tribune staff.). Any high school senior in honors U.S. history would know it is bogus, as it is COMPLETELY out of character for Madison.July 4 is a celebration of a people who decided to take a bold step and declare independence from an ongoing, controlling government. Our founding fathers were a small group of men whose destiny was defined in 1776. They knew the personal danger that awaited them, but they persevered.When the Constitution was written some years later, James Madison, one of the leading authors of the document, had this to say: "We have staked the whole future of American civilization not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the 10 Commandments."
So simple, a wonderful blueprint for individual happiness and success. This was the engine that propelled America to become the beacon of liberty throughout the world. Our culture has now lost this sense of the moral code due, in part, to the loud voices that declare separation of church and state. And what has been the result of that slogan? Just listen to and read the headlines day after day, and to all the other sordid stories and TV programs in between.
But then again, I doubt Mildred was in honors classes. Oh Mildred..
of you have sat, and perhaps thought, with us!
3 comments:
I have never seen that quote before. It seemed totally unlike anything else I've seen quoted from Madison, though. I hope you are planning on writing the paper to inform them of this misquotation.
Happy 4th.
Jim
This is a hoax perpetrated by several 20th century writers, one who reference only the others and the two originals who give no reference. In addition there have been some who quote the same statements attributed to Madison writing in the Federalist Papers. (It's not there).
To further confuse the gullible, Rush Limbaugh references the same fabricated writings and the quote is part of an often circulated compilation attempting to show that the founding fathers wanted this country to be based on the words of Christianity and nothing else.
It's another typical re-write of history.
I would think anyone named "Mildred" was probably alive when Madison was, and should know better.
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