Guard the Jewel Of Liberty

2 thoughts on “Guard the Jewel Of Liberty”

1. The quote is from Patrick Henry’s 8700 word speech given June 7, 1788 at the Virginia Ratifying Convention.

   Henry was opposed to the Constitution. He was afraid that the newly proposed US Constitution would infringe on the liberty enjoyed by current Virginians.

   He was also afraid a standing army in the US would mean individual citizens would have little defense against it. He was afraid that future Americans would not have enough power to amend the Constitution.

   He feared that the Constitution would set another tyrannical government into motion. Henry imagined the worst-case scenario for someone given the powers of president of the United States.

   Most of his apocalyptic scenarios have not happened. As much as he praised the American spirit of the past that ousted British rule, he was not complacent. He models a kind of patriotism that embraces an American project without holding to any fantasies about the morality of particular American leaders or soundness of American institutions. He would not have been disillusioned by the scandals and crimes of the American political class. He anticipated it.

   If a political post on social media is inflammatory, that is not necessarily a bad thing or a negative sign for democracy. Patrick Henry would have been outrageous on Twitter.

   1. A standing federal police agency like the FBI would have been anathema to someone like Patrick Henry, Fred; and we have seen now how his concern was justified. Thanks for some great comments.

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