Thankful for Thomas Jefferson's Trust

Among other lessons, Thomas Jefferson taught that future leaders should trust the good judgment and common sense of the American people. He thought those qualities were the rudder that would keep the ship of state on its proper course. Of course he presumed our good judgment and common sense were underwritten by a press protected by the First Amendment that would do its job of informing the people about their public business and by elected officials committed to honesty and candor.

In the period between the spring of 2002 and sometime within the past year or so, some of us lost confidence in the good judgment and common sense of the American people when a majority re-elected a president who had either made a huge mistake in trusting massively faulty intelligence or had purposely and consciously misled us. For the first time in my life I began to question Jefferson's assurances and to fear that we were in the process of becoming a fundamentally different country.

But, true to his admonition, a very large majority of Americans have now passed judgment, good judgment, on this president and are demonstrating common sense in concluding we have been led badly off course at home and abroad.

This Thanksgiving Day, among many, many blessings, I am most grateful for the restoration of American good judgment and common sense. This gratitude is qualified only by the thought that it has taken more than 30,000 American casualties to restore our true character and by the sober realization that the Democratic party now must demonstrate courage and conviction in designing a better course for America.

Comments

[ricchase]

Impeach? Impeachment is not sufficient suffering for the carnage caused. Not to mention it will never happen with this congress. Too many of them are bought and paid for. With the black soul of Satan, too many of these representatives of the people would sellout their country and the naive populous to get and retain POWER. How simple and shallow the thinking must be in the minds of these traitors and cowards to so easily trade favors for power and money. Then to look us in the eye and confidently proclaim that Americans must be wrong. They know what is best for all of us, with no regard for the opinions and wishes of the overwhelming majority. How easy it is to fool and deceive those that trust you.

I pray that this long, painful nightmare is nearing it's overdue and deserved finality. And the process of being a proud American can begin again, for it has been destroyed by 7 years of unparalleled and unrelenting assault by the test of evil, greed and megalomania.

[Pete Ross]

Impeachment:

If the Bush-Cheney criminality is not addressed we will no longer be able to claim to be a "nation of laws".

I think the reason the Democrats refuse to address this issue is that they want to run against the Bush administration's fiasco in the next election, which should assure them of a substantial win, but that leaves the subversion of the Constitution and the myriad of crimes perpetrated by the Bushies left unaddressed and sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations to be enabled to follow.

As Kucinich said, the way you address this problem Constitutionally is to "Impeach them now! ...Now!...­."Impeach them now" -Kucinich in the Las Vegas "debate"

Before they have the opportunity to further degrade our Constitution and do more damage to America, both at home and overseas!

[BNAUGHTY]

I'm not sure that we are 100 percent "out of the woods" yet.... but I appreciate the optimism and sentiment behind your words...

[Pdubya]

and who is being called "the modern day thomas jefferson"? anyway....­it is not a democrat.

good or bad, it is not a democrat.

[Pdubya]

you had me until the second half of your last sentence.

but, as well, best to you and your family this thanksgiving.

peace

[LindaJay]

Gary, I think it is at least doubtful that a majority of Americans re-elected Bush in 2004. The amount of reported vote fraud will keep that election, as in 2000, forever in doubt. It certainly wasn't a mandate by any stretch of the imagination.

[loslobo]

True enough the masses are deceived, but when you have an administration that will plant lies and the quote those lies on the Sunday shows as facts takes balls. (Cheney/Miller)

Why is treason acceptable? Back in Jefferson's day didn't they get hanged?

Where is your outrage? Saying "now must demonstrate courage and conviction in designing a better course for America."

We are way past that point, the only solution is to impeach these madmen. You know it, just say it.