Thomas Jefferson: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident

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— Scott Allison and George Goethals

9 thoughts on “Thomas Jefferson: We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident

  1. Very nice. Thomas Jefferson is one of my personal heroes and role models. He was a true Renaissance Man and an intellectual giant. John F Kennedy once said, at a dinner for Nobel laureates, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” 😀

    Personally, I think that the American values of intellectual, artistic and personal freedom and the American spirit of progress and invention are most vitally embodied by Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Jefferson was the lonely, introverted scholar pondering the Universe from a mountaintop; Franklin was the eccentric inventor, cobbling together something new between bawdy songs and mugs of beer (though Jefferson did his share of inventing and Franklin did not shy from pondering the imponderables). Together they created everything we have and we should never forget to honor them and strive to be worthy of them.

  2. Great Post.
    Thank you again for more one lesson.
    Thomas Jefferson was third president of the USA. Okay, I already knew it. But just it. I had no idea about him thoughts and lessons. Him heroism. It’s so good for me learn about American History. Even better when it’s surrounds a hero.
    Everyone loves heroes. Because we learn with them and take a chance to become a better character.
    Maybe the secret to become a hero be just to be yourself and believe in your dreams. It can sounds not enough. But it’s enough if you believe it is.

    “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
    Thomas Jefferson “

  3. Im certainly no pro, but I presume you just produced an exceedingly high-quality point. You definitely really know what you’re speaking about, and I can realise and agree totally.

  4. Ahhh! If only our current government officials would recall and implemtent the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson .. Thank You, Scott & George for this honest and noteworthy presentation.

  5. I think John Adams was identifying an important component of a hero when he remarked that "Thomas Jefferson still lives" shortly after Jefferson's death. I think part of being a hero is accomplishing an achievement so great it is remembered by people long after your own lifetime. I think mortality is one of the most central struggles of humanity. For the average person their existence will be forgotten shortly after their own life. The Hero however triumphs over the adversity of death as they live on in the memories, writings, and recognition of society for decades to come.

  6. Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers for our country and laid down a foundation that we still abide by today. An inspiring leader that was very intellectual and charismatic.

  7. Thomas Jefferson is, without a doubt, my all-time favorite President. It pretty much goes without saying that Jefferson was a hero of both American Independence and of the actual foundation of this country, as well. However, in my opinion, it was his humble and modest ways of dealing with the apparent fact of heroism that makes him even more heroic. For example, he did not want to be remembered for being the third President of the United States because he honestly did not think that he was that successful at the job – of course we all know otherwise. I mean, if it were not for Jefferson, America would not have separated from Great Britain when it did. Stressing "liberty and equality," while proactively and courageously taking a stand against the power-hungry Great Britain, Thomas Jefferson was a man, a President, and, a hero who will go down in history – and not just history books, for that matter.

  8. I consider Thomas Jefferson a hero not only because of his immense contributions to our country’s history, but because of his personal life. He did keep slaves, but evidence shows that he treated them fairly and he definitely advocated for freedom of slaves, he just didn’t quite know how to make it a reality. He was also an incredibly gifted inventor, and you can still see many of his inventions at his plantation, Monticello, in Virginia.

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