Friday, June 30, 2006

Jefferson and The Oops Factor

The Blog | Robert J. Elisberg: Guns Don't Kill People, the Press Kills People | The Huffington Post: ". . .Keeping in mind how the Radical Right loves to wear the concept of Constitutional Originalism on their sleeves, it's interesting to understand how perhaps the original Originalist, the father of all Originalists from whence all Originalists sprang - Thomas Jefferson, hallowed be his name - felt about the press and its relationship to government:

'... were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter' --Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 1787

In Radical Right Republican circles, this is known as an 'Oops' quote.

The thing is, the Radical Right has long wanted to silence the press. In fact, watching those Republicans in Congress call for an investigation into the press is a surreal moment, akin to having the Society of Foxes call for an investigation into farmers guarding the henhouses.

'Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.' --Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, 1786.

(Oops.) . . ."

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