When the government fears the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny.

The first material reward I ever earned from writing stuff was about 25 years ago for a competition in San Francisco. The task was to name the three people one would most like to have dinner with and, more importantly, why.

Well, my choices were Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill and Thomas Jefferson and I chose them because they were so different. Clearly though, controversy swirled around all three both during their lives and after their deaths but for largely different reasons.

In the case of Thomas Jefferson despite his authorship of the “Declaration of Independence” which cited the equality of all men, critics harp on his ownership of slaves and his dalliance with one Sally Hemings. However, it was a different
place and time and we must view the man in this light.

And yet, Jefferson himself well understood the principles of government and the governors and the governed and the relationship between them all. And so many of Jefferson’s words ring so true today.

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe , we shall become as corrupt as Europe .

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes a principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.

The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.

And finally try this one from 1802:-

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'

Comment from me or anyone else would be superfluous.