Dear Editor, The Auburn Plainsman
I’m writing in response to Mr. Thomas Dowling’s response to Mr. Sims’ article on Sept. 3, 2009. Mr. Dowling’s article was printed on Sept. 10, 2009.
In his article Mr. Dowling informed us that “ It was Thomas Jefferson, who said, ‘A government that is big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything away.’”
I was unaware that Gerald Ford is Thomas Jefferson. This line was said by Gerald Ford, the 38th president of the United States, in a presidential address to a joint session of Congress on Aug. 12, 1974. The American Presidency Project has a transcript of the address, available at this link- http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=4694.
Here is President Ford’s exact quote “Whether we like it or not, the American wage earner and the American housewife are a lot better economists than most economists care to admit. They know that a government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”
I’m sure you did not misattribute this quote on purpose Mr. Dowling, but next time you feel the urge to tell someone to “check your history text” you might want to heed your own advice.
There seems to be the mindset that in the modern conservative party that the founders were part of the modern conservative movement and the liberal movement grew from Marx and Hitler.
And just so you’re clear Mr. Dowling, Eleanor Roosevelt did not say “America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, bad-ass speed.”
I would also like to comment on your take of Mr. Sims’ article. Mr. Sims was telling you to think for yourself, not to mindlessly follow Fox News and the right-wing radio.
A different viewpoint is always a good thing to hear, even when you disagree, because that is the basis for debate.
Has the civil discourse in our country eroded so much that name-calling and shouting are now debate?
And whoever is the loudest at town hall meetings is the one that is correct on the issue.
Arguments on the issues were very difficult to find at Glenn Beck’s rally for himself getting monetary gain from the tragedy of 9-11 in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.
Name-calling, misspelled signs and mindless chants of “YOU LIE” were abounding.
Don’t get me wrong: I love a good idiot parade as much as the next guy, but these rallies do nothing to advance the national debate of this country. Trust your own ability to decide for yourself, not just listening to the talking heads on TV.
Trust your ability to reason, for as Lord Byron said, “Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.”
Dustin Pridgen sophomore, history education
I know I wouldn't want my kid to be taught by you.
I contend that Mr. Sims, in his editorial published Sept. 3, 2009 is making false statements about the rise of the German Nazi party, is making a poor analogy between American conservatives and German Nazis, and is using the same name-calling and fear tactics that his editorial is decrying. My point, plain and simple, is that Mr. Sims was wrong on all three accounts: Nazis did not rise from conservatism, Americans are in no way similar to Nazis, and using fear tactics of ones own does not make a compelling argument.
Mr. Pridgen, you said “Just so you’re clear, Mr. Dowling, Eleanor Roosevelt did not say ‘America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, bad-ass speed.’” I fail to see how this is relevant, either to my argument, or to your own. Is this a slight on my misattribution (which is, in fact quite common)? Is this a fact that you feel I need to be aware of? Or are you merely attempting to discredit me with the clever insinuation that I attribute famous quotes to whichever author suits my purpose?
You desire to comment on my take on Mr. Sims’ article, informing me that I missed the intent of Mr. Sims’ argument. I believe that I caught the point quite well, actually. Ninety percent of Mr. Sims’ article insulted conservatives, made foreboding prophesies about a second holocaust, and talked about “fear tactics”. He ended his argument with a single sentence saying (and I paraphrase): in summary, keep your mind to yourself.
You tell me that Mr. Sims was articulating that we should not mindlessly follow Fox news (which I do not) and right-wing radio (again, do not). I could just as easily say that liberals should not mindlessly follow MSNBC and left-wing radio. Actually, if someone would point out that we might want to question our media, that would be a beneficial article.
Finally, I will acknowledge that there are plenty of self-identified conservatives who really make every conservative look bad. But please, acknowledge that the same phenomenon occurs on the liberal side of politics. Idiots are idiots, and their political affiliation does not reflect the party as a whole.