Learning From History

George Santanyana said; “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We are at a point in our history when we need to remember our past before it’s to late.

There are 2 parts to this, please be sure to read the 2nd part in bold letters.

Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.

At 5, began studying under his cousin's tutor. At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French. At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages. At 16, entered the College of William and Mary . At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe. At 23, started his own law practice. At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America and retired from his law practice. At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress. At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence. At 33, took three years to revise Virginia 's legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom. At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia, succeeding Patrick Henry. At 40, served in Congress for two years. At 41, was the American minister to France , and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams. At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington. At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society. At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions, and became the active head of Republican Party. At 57, was elected the third president of the United States . At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase , doubling the nation's size. At 61, was elected to a second term as President. At 65, retired to Monticello . At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine. At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia , and served as its first president. And at the age of 83, he died on July 4th, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence. Both he and John Adams died that same day within hours of each other.

Thomas Jefferson studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood the importance of learning and remembering the lessons of history, the nature of God, God’s laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most of our leaders understand today. Jefferson really knew, as few do, that about which he wrote and spoke. His is a voice from the past that can lead us now and in the future.

So great was the intellect of Thomas Jefferson that when John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time, he made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House, with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." If only we had some leaders with the intelligence and wisdom of Jefferson running our country today.

Now here are some admonitions from that great mind:

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe ." -- Thomas Jefferson

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." -- Thomas Jefferson

"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." -- Thomas Jefferson

"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." -- Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." -- Thomas Jefferson

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson

"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." -- Thomas Jefferson

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." -- Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802: "I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."

Note: This came to pass with the establishment of the Federal Reserve System in 1914.

Do any of the things Jefferson WARNED us about sound familiar??? Wake up America! If we keep going down this path, our children and grandchildren will curse our names.

I am Whamm, let them with wisdom hear.