Some of our Founding Fathers had complete disdain for newspapers. John Adams for example saw that the “Alien and Sedition Act” was approved and signed to keep newspapers from printing false and libelous stories about politicians.
George Washington used the newspaper business to spread false stories about troop movements and other things. Thomas Jefferson gave his recommendations that newspapers should be agreeably divided into four sections: Truths, Probabilities, Possibilities, and Lies. Yes, he thought they contained outright lies from time to time.
In one of my classes as a guest instructor at a local High School, I asked a question, as I always do. I asked who was the first President of the United States of America. One young man braved his answer and responded: “Wasn’t it Abraham Lincoln?”
It was so interesting to read a report in the newspaper today about Philadelphia and the Mormons. You may know that the true name of the Mormon Church is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”. They are referred to as the Mormons because they believe in a New Testament of Jesus Christ which is titled The Book of Mormon.
However, the original Patriots didn’t play football. Football hadn’t even been invented yet. Those original Patriots played for keeps and they created a new nation. The first one ever to be of the people, by the people and for the people.
Nearly everyone knows of Benjamin Franklin’s success as a printer and businessman, as well as his many diplomatic successes. However, not many people know of his invention as a musician.
Yesterday was Constitution Day. Everyone I asked, never knew it was a special day at all, much less Constitution Day. Well, I guess that’s to be expected. Schools don’t pay much attention to the Constitution, because they seem to be too busy with optional gender bathrooms. Opps. Forget I said that.
Of course you know that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were both Virginians, and they were great friends. Madison asked Jefferson to send him some books as he was studying how to plan for a new government. Jefferson sent him two trunks of “literary cargo” from France where Jefferson was the Minister.