Your View: Is Gerald Ford really Thomas Jefferson?

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