It’s nearly impossible to overstate the visionary foresight and principled stance of America’s Founding Fathers. Their words continue to resonate with timeless wisdom and an unwavering commitment to liberty:
- George Washington — ”Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.”
- Thomas Jefferson — ”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
- John Adams — ”Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.”
- Benjamin Franklin — ”They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
- James Madison — ”The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
- Alexander Hamilton — ”A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one.”
- Patrick Henry — ”Give me liberty, or give me death!”
- Thomas Paine — ”The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.”
- Samuel Adams — ”It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men.”
- George Mason — ”All men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights.”
- John Jay — ”The security of our liberties depends upon our unity.”
- Thomas Jefferson — ”The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”
- Benjamin Franklin — ”Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”
- John Adams — ”There is nothing I dread so much as the division of the republic into two great parties.”
- James Madison — ”The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.”
- George Washington — ”The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government.”
- Thomas Paine — ”These are the times that try men’s souls.”
- Benjamin Franklin — ”In free governments, the rulers are the servants, and the people their superiors and sovereigns.”
- George Washington — ”Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”
- Patrick Henry — ”The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”
- John Adams — ”Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
These quotes not only highlight the foundational principles upon which the United States was built but also serve as a perpetual reminder of the values we must strive to uphold in our pursuit of a more perfect union. In moments of political frustration, when I encounter opinions starkly different from my own, I’m reminded that our collective challenges transcend the simple dichotomy of left versus right. The strategy of ‘divide and conquer’ remains as old as it is effective, yet it is not my fellow citizens on either side of the aisle who are the adversary.
My true contention lies with those who would undermine the profound Constitution our Founding Fathers so meticulously crafted. There’s an unshakable conviction within me that America holds a unique place in the world, perhaps even divinely favored. This privilege of birthright within such a nation isn’t just luck; it’s a call to stewardship, to preserve and enhance what has been bequeathed to us, ensuring that the American experiment in liberty continues to thrive for generations to come. Long live America.
9/23/24
Conor Jay Chepenik
